


She Needs Something Inspiring To Help Her Get Along

by TopazGotTheJuice



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: AU, Cheryl is lowkey a player but she has a heart, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/F, Few fics have that, Role Reversal, Toni is a snob, Top Cheryl cause why not?, lets switch things up, strangers to enemies to friends to lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-25
Updated: 2019-10-23
Packaged: 2019-11-05 16:12:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 29
Words: 171,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17922122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TopazGotTheJuice/pseuds/TopazGotTheJuice
Summary: toni was born with a silver spoon in her mouth and has always lived a lavish life. she is now the ceo of her own company, but is a bit of a snob. cheryl grew up in a foster home on the "opposite side of the tracks". she’s a bartender at this crummy bar and has quite the “player” reputation but she wants more in life. so, what happens when these two literally bump into each other on the streets of new york?-a role reversal au





	1. i want more

**Author's Note:**

> AU with a complete role reversal, should be interesting eh? toni as a rich bitch and cheryl as a top? where they do that at? i don't even know how this is gonna turn out, but hey lets do it. and yes the title is a lyric from Fabulous by Sharpay Evans, don't judge me.
> 
> there definitely will not be a schedule for this fic. i'll try to do them weekly as best i can. writing more than one fic at the same time isn't easy, idk how some of y'all do it. but i just couldn't wait to upload this story, i have been thinking about this concept for a while. also this is probably the only chapter that will be this long. after this they will probably stay between 3k to 5k words. 
> 
> okay i'm done talking now, please enjoy and follow me on twitter @cheryltoepaz

cheryl's body began to stir awake as her senses came to. first was smell, the room wreaked of tequila and cigarette smoke. the second was taste, again tequila and tobacco. the next two registered at the same time. touch and sound. she heard snoring and felt an arm draped over her waist. the last was sight. she opened her eyes, blinking a few times as her bedroom ceiling came into focus. she looked down at her body. she was naked. she groaned as the memories of last night flooded in her brain.

_"hey cher. look at that girl at the end of the bar. she has been checking you out all night." veronica yelled into cheryl's ear over the loud music, motioning to where the girl was sitting._

_cheryl looked over and she couldn't deny it. the girl was fine. she had smooth chocolate skin. her curly hair was pulled up into a bun, edges sleeked down on her forehead. she had nice full glossy lips. she was wearing a top that showed off her cleavage, her breasts sitting perfectly. she couldn't see the bottom of her body, hidden by the bar, but if the top was anything to go by cheryl knew it wouldn't disappoint._

_she was sitting there nursing her drink, swirling the straw around in circles. as if she felt eyes on her she looked up and made eye contact with cheryl and she shot her a small smirk as her eyes looked her up and down._

_"well, go talk to her." veronica nudged her from behind._

_"eh i don't know." cheryl shrugged and continued to wipe down the counter._

_"what do you mean you don't know. look at her."_

_"well she is really good looking." cheryl said after eyeing the girl for a couple more second before turning to face her best friend._

_"she is and i bet she has some bomb ass pussy."_

_"ronnie please. she's a human being."_

_"yeah yeah are you gonna go talk to her or not? cause if you don't i will."_

_cheryl eyes the girl once more. she shot her a wink and that's when cheryl figures why not._

_"alright fuck it." cheryl made her way over to the opposite side of the bar and stopped right in front of the girl._

_"hey sweetheart. that drink no good?" cheryl asked smoothly. cheryl was a bit of a player and she knew she had game._

_"it's okay." the girl shrugged. her voice was  smooth but kind of raspy. cheryl's ultimate weakness._

_"yeah that other bartender has no idea what she's doing. why don't i get you something a little more... sweet." cheryl smirked dropping her eyes to the girls cleavage only for a second. the girl nodded and cheryl started mixing her drink._

_"so what's your name sweetheart?" cheryl asked sliding the glass in front of the girl._

_"jasmine." she said and she swirled the ice around with her thin straw before taking a sip. she moaned in appreciation. cheryl definitely wanted to hear that sound again._

_"good?"_

_"really good."_

_"i'm cheryl by the way."_

_"nice to meet you cheryl."_

_that night ended with the two taking many shots. making out in the bathroom of the bar and residing back to cheryl's place._

this is the norm for cheryl. see a pretty girl at the bar. talk her up. and end up either at her own place or theirs. then she would ghost them. but honestly she's getting tired of the fuck girl life. she's turning 27 in a couple months and she wants more in life than working at the crummy bar she works at and hopping from girl to girl to girl.

cheryl hasn't had the easiest life. she grew up in foster care with her current best friend and roommate veronica, and they didn't have a nice home or nice things. they were both a bit of trouble makers and their foster parents really didn't give a crap about them. as the years went by the chances of them getting adopted were slim to none. and when they hit their teenage years they gave up hope completely. when they turned 17 they got jobs at this little crummy bar that barely made enough money to scrape by, until they started working there. they were underage but they easily passed for 18 and the boss said as long as they didn't drink and no one found out how old they were they were hired. when they turned 18 they were kicked out of the foster home and used their years worth of paychecks and tips to moved into a small 2 bedroom apartment in which they currently still live.

cheryl wants more. more than just making drinks and fucking random chicks. she is tired of it but for some reason she couldn't resist the pretty face she saw last night. but, she really wants a relationship. she's never had one. she's never even been in love but she wants that. she also wants more than just working at the bar. she barely graduated high school and didn't go to college but she wants to do something more valuable with her life.

she lifts the arm that's thrown over her and places it on the bed as she throws her legs off the side and stands up. she raises her arms over her head and moves her body from side to side, stretching out her muscles. she picks up her clothes that were scattered on the floor and throws them in her hamper in her closet. she opens the drawer of her dresser and pulls out fresh underwear and tank top and some navy blue pajama shorts.

she walks over to the bed and shakes the sleeping girl awake.

"mmm good morning." jasmine says as she rises up. cheryl allowed her to kiss her.

"listen last night was  _really_  fun but-"

"let me guess. i'm not looking for anything serious right now?"

"i'm sorry."

"it's no biggie. i'm not either. i just got dumped so i was just looking for a one night stand anyway."

"well, glad we're on the same page."

the girl got out of bed and searched for her clothes. after getting dressed cheryl walked her out of her room towards the front door of the apartment. veronica was standing in the kitchen drinking coffee and chuckled at cheryl as she walked jasmine to the front door.

"thanks for a great night." jasmine said as cheryl opened the door for her.

"no problem." jasmine crossed the threshold into the hallway and turned to face the redhead. she leaned in and gave her a quick parting kiss which cheryl accepted and she disappeared down the hall. cheryl closed the door and made her way to the kitchen.

"great night?"

"eh"

"eh? just eh? she was screaming your name all night and all you say is eh?"

"you  _know_  i'm amazing in bed. and yeah- i mean- sure she was a great fuck but i wasn't really feeling it." cheryl opened the cabinet behind veronica and pulled out a coffee mug. she poured herself a cup and drank it black.

"what's happening to you. you used to have girls in here damn near every night. that's was your first fuck in what three weeks?"

"i'm just tired of sleeping with random girls ya know? i want more. i want to connect with someone."

"and that someone can't be jasmine?"

"no i didn't feel anything with her. plus we both were just in for a one nighter."

"wow i cant believe  _the_  cheryl blossom wants to settle down."

"we're getting older. i want to do more than just mix drinks and fuck randoms"

"wait so now you don't want to work at the bar anymore either" veronica over exaggerated, placing her hand over her chest.

"i mean yes i love working at the bar but i just want to do more than just that. ya know get a real job."

"what kind of real job can you get that doesn't require a college education?"

"i don't know but i'm going to find out. i have to. we're about to be 27. i don't wanna be known as cheryl from the bar forever."

"alright. whatever you do, you have my support."

"thank you ronnie."

just then there was a rhythmic beat coming from the other side of their front door and two deep voices were rapping along to the beat.

" _we want food we want food we want food"_

cheryl and veronica rolled their eyes at each other and cheryl made her way to the door. she opens the door causing the beating to stop and there stood a tall man with greasy black hair, two arms covered in tattoos and a shorter man with pouty lips and curly hair that covered his forehead and stopped just above his eyes.

"what do you want?" cheryl asked.

"didn't you hear the song? we want food." the shorter boy said before both men entered the apartment without an invitation.

"why don't you eat at your own place, reggie?" veronica asked crossing her arms and trying to block his path into the kitchen.

"all we have in our fridge is week old chinese take out and a bottle of ketchup." the other man said taking a seat at the dining room table.

"sweet pea, you know we got paid two days ago. just go grocery shopping." cheryl said.

"but that's so much work" reggie complained, head poking in the fridge having since passed by veronica's failed blockade.

"ugh fine. but you two are cooking dinner for us sometime this week."

"deal." sweet pea agreed.

"move." veronica said smacking reggie on his back and she pulled out a carton of eggs and some bacon and starting preparing breakfast.

cheryl and veronica met reggie and sweet pea when they started working at the bar together. and they just so happen to live in the apartment right next door. fate i guess. the four of them had become really close, basically best friends.

when veronica was finished cooking they resided to the living room, scattered on the L shaped couch with plates in their hands as they ate.

"so cheryl is quitting the bar." veronica suddenly spoke up causing the red head to shoot a sharp glare at her.

"what? why?" sweet pea mumbled, mouth full of eggs.

"i'm not quitting. i just want to do something else. get a real job."

"so what our sleazy bar isn't enough for you?" reggie asked.

"no."

"wow. i see how it is." sweet pea said, clutching his heart, over exaggerating his hurt.

"listen i love working at the bar, and i love working with you guys, and i'm not quitting. i just want to do more in life than _just_  mix drinks."

"and fuck random chicks." veronica added.

"hey whats wrong with fucking random chicks?" reggie asked.

"nothing. it was fun but i'm just tired of it. i want- fuck- i just want more. i want to wake up to the same pair of arms every morning. i wanna go on dates and shit. what's so bad about that?"

"nothing red. if thats what you want then you do what you gotta do." sweet pea stated.

"thank you."

and that day, cheryl did the most research she has ever done in her entire life. she even went as far as to make a list on things she likes to do. it was a rather short list. she stared down at her small notepad, the end of her pen pressed up against her lips and she looked at the three items written down. 

1\. making drinks

2\. talking to girls, no, people 

3.running errands

she went back to her laptop, clicking through the many tabs she had open. 

grocery store check out girl.

_nope._

fast food worker.

_hell no._

telemarketer 

_ew._

everything else she ran by required a college degree.

"fuck!" cheryl slammed her laptop closed and flopped down on her bed. an alarm went off on her phone. time to get ready for work. she drug herself out of bed and took a hot shower and dressed her self for another night at the bar. she put on a pair of jeans, black vans, and a white button up, leaving the top few buttons open. she grabbed her backpack and her phone and left her room. veronica was sitting on the couch scrolling through her phone.

"ready?" 

"yep."

the two exited their apartment, locking up and making their way down the hall, down the stairs and out into the warm air of the city. 

"how did the job search go?" veronica asked as they walked in the direction of the bar.

"bad. everything that seemed interesting required a college degree" cheryl huffed, dragging her feet against the concrete.

"damn that sucks cher. so what are you gonna do?"

"keep trying i guess."

"wow you really hate us huh?"

"oh shut up, i love you and the boys and i'm not quitting the bar doofus. i just wa-"

"i know i know you want  _more."_

After the three block walk cheryl and veronica entered the bar. reggie and sweet pea already behind the counter preparing for the nightly rush. it was a saturday so they were sure to be busy.

and they were extremely busy. cheryl barely had time to breathe. she was constantly taking orders and mixing drinks. she flirted with a few girls, only to make more in tips, but she had no plans on taking any of them home. around 11:30 she told veronica she was going on a break and she exited the back door of the club. she released a breath as she stepped out into the cool night air. she leaned her back on the brick of the building and pulled her pack of cigarettes and her red lighter out of her back pocket. she took one out and placed it in between her lips before shoving the pack back in her pocket. she flicked the lighter and covered the flame with her palm as she lit the cigarette, inhaling deeply before blowing the smoke out of her mouth. 

just as she was about to put the cigarette up to her lips again her phone vibrated in her other back pocket. she rested the stick in between her lips as she took her phone out and opened the text from veronica.

 **ronnie**  
come back inside there's someone i want you to meet.

 **cher**  
ronnie i'm not hooking up with any girls tonight.

 **ronnie**  
it's not a girl. just bring your ass inside.

cheryl huffed as she flicked her barely touched cigarette on the ground as squished it with the bottom of her shoe. she re-entered the loud club and wove through the many bodies until she reached the bar. 

"you owe me a cigarette" cheryl said as she walked up to veronica.

"whatever, come here." veronica grabbed cheryl by her arm and led her to the end of the bar, and stopped in front of a man wearing a blue suit, way overdressed for this kind of bar.

"cheryl this is kevin. he works at... at..." veronica said snapping her fingers trying to find the information in her short term memory.

"i work at topaz."

"right right, topaz."

"topaz?" cheryl rose a questioning eyebrow.

"yes it's a magazine. we also have a website, blogs, and a heavy social media presence."

"okay." cheryl said to allow the man to continue.

"well, your friend here said you were looking for a new job and it just so happens that my boss is in dire need of an assistant."

"cheryl would be perfect for that job. she basically runs this bar. and she's really good at talking to people. and she  _loves_  running errands." veronica bragged.

"well then you would be perfect. here's my card. our website is listed on it. just go on there and apply as soon as possible."

"i'll do it tonight. thank you so much, kevin." cheryl smiled as she took the card from the man. 

"no problem. hopefully i'll see you soon." he lifted his glass off the bar top and nodded as he walked away.

cheryl turned to ronnie and they both squealed and hugged rocking from side to side.

"whats going on here ladies?" reggie asked as he walked up to them pulling them out of their embrace.

"well our girl here might be getting a new job. some rich guy just gave her his card." veronica said slinging her arm around cheryl's shoulder.

"aye look at you, movin' up in the world"

at 3 am when cheryl and veronica arrived home, instead of going to bed she hopped straight on her laptop, typing in the web address on the card. the website was so well organized and very prestigious. it also looked very aesthetically pleasing. there were links to many articles, a section on the side that was linked to their twitter and instagram. she clicked on the apply tab and immediately filled out the application for the assistant position. 

after filling everything out she closed her laptop. she stripped her day clothes, swapping them for pajamas, and hopped into bed with a smile on her face, feeling accomplished already. even though she was sure a lot of people have applied she was determined to get this job."

-

on monday afternoon as cheryl sat in sweet pea and reggie's apartment watching some comedy about two brothers who need wedding dates, her phone vibrated in her pocket with an email notification.

"holy shit!" cheryl suddenly exclaimed, staring at her phone screen.

"what?" veronica asked.

"guys, i have an interview tomorrow at topaz."

"holy shit no way!"

"oh shit, it's really happening." cheryl started internally freaking out, her nerves already surfacing. "what the fuck do i even wear to an interview?"

"don't worry. we'll get you together tonight." veronica reassured.

-

"are you sure this looks good?" cheryl asks from her living room, nervously modeling for veronica who sat on the couch. she was wearing a black skirt, which she constantly had to pull down because it was tight and would ride up, with a plain black button up, six inch black stilettos, and a black cross body purse.

"yes you look fine. now go. stop being nervous. you got this. don't be a little bitch."

cheryl rolled her eyes and squared her shoulders back.

"alright. see you in a couple hours."

after a 10 minute ride on the subway cheryl climbed the stairs back above ground started her one block stroll to the office building. 

as she was walking she pulled her phone out of her purse when she heard it ding. it was a text from veronica.

 **ronnie**  
good luck bitch. 

cheryl laughed and she started typing her reply until she collided with someone. she felt a hot liquid spill on her shirt as her phone fell unto the ground. she bent down to pick it up and when she stood back up she was struck. standing in front of her was a woman. she was a couple inches shorter than her. she had beautiful caramel skin, long brown hair with blonde highlights. she wore a pink button up shirt with pearls around her neck. a black blazer and a black skirt that stopped just above her knees. her figure was amazing and her hips filled that skirt perfectly.

the woman before her started wiping her sleeves with her hand and it wasn't until she heard her scoff that cheryl came back to reality.

"ugh! look what you did!" the woman said rather sharply as she looked up at cheryl. 

 _wow._ now that she could see her face,  _wow_ was all cheryl could think. she had clear skin, beautiful brown eyes, and perfectly shaped lips. 

"i'm sorry i was-" the woman looked down at the phone that was in her hand.

"of course you were texting. why don't you watch where you are going. someone of us don't enjoy the feeling of hot coffee spilled on them at 8 in the morning." the woman bit and before cheryl could apologize the woman stomped away, her heels clacking on the concrete.

cheryl watched her walk away, her hips swaying as she entered the building she was about to.

_focus._

cheryl shook her head and took a deep breath. she sent a quick thanks to veronica before entering the building. 

she opened the glass door and made her way to the reception desk.

"hi how may i help you?" the lady behind the desk said.

"um... i have an interview at topaz."

"21st floor"

"thanks."

cheryl made her way to the gold elevators and pressed the up button. she waited a few second before the one on the far right opened. she entered and hit 21, the elevator shooting up at speed that almost made her nauseous. when the elevator came to a stop she walked out and made her way down the small hallway to the left to another receptionist desk that she stopped in front of.

"welcome to topaz. how may i help you?" she woman, much younger than the woman in the lobby, said.

"i'm cheryl blossom, i'm here for my interview for the assistant position."

"ah yes. one second." cheryl watched as the woman picked up her desk phone and dialed a number.

"good morning miss topaz, your first interviewee is here." 

 cheryl rose an eyebrow as the woman hung up the phone and stood from her desk. "you can follow me. she's ready for you."

cheryl followed the woman through the glass doubled doors, topaz in white all capitol letters handing above the doors. as she entered the office there were many desks scattered around the the floor, she passed a few offices that had glass walls. she passed by an office and noticed a familiar face.

"hey cheryl, good to see you again." kevin said and she just waved in response. she and the woman came to a stop in front of two double doors, the only office with no glass walls.

"alright here we are. you can go ahead an enter, but be sure to knock first, and good luck."

"quick question." cheryl said before the woman could walk away. "in the hall, you said miss topaz?"

"yes the founder and ceo of this company."

cheryl felt her heart flutter and her stomach tighten. she didn't know she was interviewing for a job with the founder of the company. her nerves grew substantially. the woman walked away and cheryl took a couple deep breaths before knocking on the door.

"come in"

cheryl opened the door and entered the office.

_no fucking way._

_-_

_four days prior_

-

"come in" toni said after hearing knocking from the other side of the door. a woman with blonde hair, pulled back into a tight ponytail entered nervously.

"betty, please, have a seat." toni motioned to the chair in front of her desk and the blonde sat down.

"there's a reason why i have brought you in here and it's not good news." 

"is this because i was late today? i'm sorry i-"

"stop. it's not because you were late  _today._ it's because you are late almost everyday. you're constantly on your phone texting during work hours, you take way to long to get things done, you hardly pay attention to emails. when i need to get in contact with you during work hours i should never hear you voicemail. i can't even begin to tell you how much that pisses me off."

"toni i'm-"

"miss. topaz." toni interrupted with a sharp tone.

"right. miss topaz. i'll do better. i will."

"betty. this is the third meeting like this we've had. i'm sorry but you're out of strikes."

"please i-"

"your incompetence will no longer be needed here. you're fired."

betty just nodded and without another word she got up and left her office. when the door was shut behind her toni leaned back in her office chair and released a breath. she leaned forward and pressed a button on her desk phone.

" _what's up toni."_ kevin's voice came through her speaker.

"can you come to my office for a second please."

" _be right there."_

a few moments later there was a knock on her door and she instructed him to come in.

"you rang?" kevin asked as he closed her office door behind him and took a seat in the chair betty once was.

"i need you to put up a job listing for an assistant position immediately."

"fired betty huh?"

"i don't even know why i kept her this long." toni said with a shake of her head.

"alright. i'll get right on that. we still on for dinner tonight?"

"yes."

and with that, kevin gave her a two finger salute and exited her office.

-

when 5 o'clock hit toni logged out of her computer and exited her office locking it behind her. it the office was almost completely empty, seeing as it was friday and nobody wanted to stick around. most nights toni stays late, because it's not like she has anything else going on. but on friday she leaves at 5 on the dot, most fridays getting dinner with her only two friends.

she met kevin by the elevators who was joined by josie mccoy. toni met the two of them her sophomore year of college in their journalism class, and they have been friends ever since. and when toni started her business they were one of the first people to be hired, and have been with her throughout her entire journey.

"where to today?" josie asked once they stepped onto the elevator.

"mario's?" kevin suggested.

"no, we had italian last week. how about tony's? i'm in the mood for a steak." toni said.

"sure, i could enjoy a nice steak." josie agreed.

"alright. i'll call now and get us a table." kevin said, pulling his phone out of his pocket as they reached the ground floor where all of their cars were waiting for them. a man in a red vest, with a white button up and black bow tie handed them all their respective keys.

"thank you daniel." josie said with a smile

"thanks." kevin said giving him a friendly but firm handshake.

when toni received her keys she only offered him a slight smile and a head nod.

-

"so i put out the job listing for your new assistant this afternoon. there have already been a few to apply." kevin said after the three of them ordered their meals.

"great." toni replied.

"what happened with betty?" josie asked curiously.

"are you kidding me. betty was... a nice girl but she was incompetent of getting anything done how i like and you know that wont work for me." toni said taking a small sip of her chardonnay.

"maybe you should loosen up a bit." josie said boldly.

" _excuse me?"_

"i'm just saying, not everyone is going to be able to do anything  _exactly_  how you like. unless you clone yourself."

"okay maybe so, but i just need an employee who is competent. punctual. someone who isn't addicted to their phone."

"and there are many people out there who can do all those things, but people aren't robots toni." josie said.

toni rose an eyebrow at her but didn't press the matter further. she sat back in her chair and took a much longer sip of her wine.

-

the following monday toni was awoken by her alarm at 6:30 in the morning. she rose up to a sitting position as her black silk sheets pooled around her waist. she stretched her arms over her head and rocked side to side to stretch out her muscles before tossing the covers back and throwing her legs over the side of her king size bed. she made her way into her sizable en suite. she stripped her silk pajamas off and opened the glass door of her standing shower and stepped inside the space big enough to fit 5 people.

after a shower she wrapped herself in a black fluffy robe and exited the attached bathroom. when she reentered her bedroom her bed had already been made up. she walked out of her room, closing the double doors behind her and walked down the long hallway towards the stairs. she descended down the stairs that came down on both sides of the foyer and led right into the living room. she turned left and made her way to the dining area just to the left of the living room, where breakfast would be waiting for her.

when she entered she rolled her eyes as a man in a muscle shirt, arms covered in scattered tattoos, sat at the table, eating a bowl of cereal.

"fangs what the hell are you doing here?" 

he snapped his head up from his bowl, his curly black hair a ruffled mess on his head.

"morning sis. just enjoying some breakfast." he said with a smile.

"i meant in my house." she rolled her eyes as she sat down at the head of the table in front of her vegetable omelette, avocado toast and a glass of orange juice.

"we were out of cereal at my place."

"okay, go buy some more."

"why would i do that when i could just come to my favorite sisters house and take some of hers. it's not like you even eat it."

"first of all, i'm your only sister. second of all, you have a point, but that doesn't mean you can just come into my house and eat all of my food.

"of course it does." fangs teased and toni just rolled her eyes with a laugh. 

she and fangs had a great relationship. toni's dad married fangs mother when they were seven years old, and they grew up in a lavish lifestyle. toni's dad is a brain surgeon and fangs mother owns a law firm. they were raised in a mansion on private property with a cooking and cleaning staff. they both went to the most prestigious private school and when they turned 18 they certainly didn't have to worry about paying for college. 

toni and fangs were completely different though. toni absolutely loved the lifestyle she grew up in, and she always knew she wanted to start her own business, and live in a big fancy house. fangs on the other hand never claimed his parents money, and hated being called  _rich boy._ their parents were less than pleased to hear he dropped out of college and started a band. but after seeing how passionate he was about his music they eventually came around. now he lives in an apartment with his boyfriend joaquin. 

"so hows the business coming?" fangs asked slurping a spoon full of honey nut cheerios in his mouth. 

"great. i'm about to start interviews for a new assistant tomorrow."

"oh really? what happened with your last one?"

"she just... didn't live up to my expectations. but how about you? hows joaquin?"

"joaquin is amazing as always."

"and the band?"

"it's great. they're great. we have a gig this friday. you should come."

"depends on where the gig is because i am not spending my friday night at some cigarette smelling, drunk invested-"

"toni come on. loosen up a bit."

_loosen up a bit?_

 toni scoffed "you are the second person to tell me i need to loosen up a bit."

"well maybe you should listen."

"excuse me?"

"toni, i'm you brother so i can say this. you're lowkey a snob."

"you did not just call me a-"

"yeah i did. if anything is one percent less than 5 five stars you shit talk it. you look down your nose at people who don't live in lavish like you, including me."

"that is not tr-"

"yes it is. when i told you i dropped out of college to pursue music you told me verbatim,  _i'm ruining my life."_

"i'm supportive now."

"yeah,  _now._ and when i introduced you to joaquin for the first time you looked at him like he was a criminal."

"okay maybe a judged him at first but you can't blame me. he's covered in tattoos and has a nose piercing."

"so just cause he looks different its okay to be a complete snobby ass to him."

"i'll admit i was wrong and he is an actual sweetheart okay, how long are you gonna criticize me?"

"i'm just saying toni. you need to loosen up or you gonna be lonely forever. no guy or girl is gonna want to put up with that attitude" and with that fangs rose from the table, taking his now empty bowl with him.

toni just scoffed and dug into her breakfast.

_whatever. i just like the finer things in life._

before exiting her home fangs came back into the dining room.

"you are coming on friday and that's final."

"fine. you're lucky i love you."

"i love you too tiny."

"please stop calling me that. we aren't 12 anymore."

"never." fangs smiled before he exited her home, and toni shook her head as she heard his motorcycle rumble away.

-

"loosen up." toni scoffed to herself. "please, i don't need to loosen up."

toni sat in her drivers seat, speaking to herself as she stood at a red light. she couldn't stop thinking about what fangs and josie had said to her.  _loosen up._ those thoughts kept her up pretty late last night. toni is a very punctual person and she's usually in bed by 11, but her thoughts kept her up until 2 in the morning. so after stopping for a much needed coffee with an extra shot of expresso, she was on her way to work.

"i don't need to loosen up, everyone else needs to tighten up maybe.  _sorry_  for having standards" toni said as she took a small sip of the hot coffee.

toni was hoity-toity. unlike her brother she loved the title kids gave her back in high school. they called her rich bitch, and instead of being offended she owned it, and claimed it as her title. she was a stuck up, but not always. her last year of college she dated a man who she swore she was in love with. and she was her happiest. she was more laid back. but after she caught him stealing from her he confessed that he was just attracted to her money, and it broke her heart. so, since then she refused to bat an eye and anyone who was of lesser social status. 

but, she couldn't stop thinking about what fangs said.

_you need to loosen up or you gonna be lonely forever.  
_

it's true toni hasn't been on a single date since dumping that last guy. she was into both woman and men but no one seemed to meet her standards. maybe she would loosen up a bit if she could meet someone who met her standards and didn't try to steal from her. or if she found an assistant who could get shit done in a timely and orderly fashion. but until then she was not going to  _loosen up._

she pulled up to her office building, and daniel walked around her car and opened the door for her. she grabbed her coffee and her purse and stepped out of the car, shooting him a tiny smile before making her way towards her office building.

she took a large gulp of her coffee and just as she made the halfway point from the street to the front door she felt something struck her side and her cup was squeezed causing the top to pop off and the hot liquid spilled on her blazer before splattering on the ground, some of the liquid getting on her shoes and feet. toni started wiping her sleeve off with a scoff. she was  _hot_ both literally and figuratively. 

"ugh! look what you did!" toni said sharply as she looked up at the woman. 

"i'm sorry i was-" toni noticed the cell phone that was in her hand and that set her off.  

_phone addiction, of course._

"of course you were texting. why don't you watch where you are going. someone of us don't enjoy the feeling of hot coffee spilled on them at 8 in the morning." toni stomped off after flicking her hair over her shoulder, and stormed into her office building.

"morning miss topaz." the lady behind the receptionist desk said cheerily and toni just ignored her.

when she reached her office she also ignored her secretary when she greeted her. the morning just started and she was already annoyed. she marched straight for the break room, where she was met with kevin eating a muffin.

"hey toni." when toni ignored him he knew she was in a mood. "what happened?"

"some idiot was walking and texting and bumped into me and spilled  _hot_ coffee all over me." toni said as she aggressively snatched paper towels from the dispenser.

"oh, sorry. do you need any help?"

"i'm fine thank you." she said as she started to wipe down her blazer. kevin just shrugged and left the break room.

toni walked into her office, shutting the door behind her and stripped her blazer off, hanging it on the coat rack before flopping down in her chair. before even having a chance to get settled her desk phone started ringing.

"topaz" she said after pressing the speaker button.

"good morning miss topaz, your first interviewee is here."

"great, send them in."

toni reached into her bottom drawer to grab her notepad and a the top drawer to retrieve a pen. and a few moments later she heard a knock on her front door.

"come in."

when the door opened, she kept her poker face strong but on the inside she was fuming again.

_just fucking great._

 

 

 

 

 


	2. topaz

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> rest in peace Luke Perry, you beautiful angel <3
> 
> ...
> 
> cheryl has her interview with toni and toni is lowkey a bitch.
> 
> toni goes to a bar with fangs to watch his band perform.

cheryl entered the large office, palms sweaty, hands shaking, face anxious. she was already nervous enough knowing that she would be interviewing for a job with the ceo of the company but the fact that 5 minutes ago she just spilled hot coffee all over the ceo of the company made her knees shake and her heart beat out of her chest.

"um... hi i'm cheryl blossom" cheryl said shakily extending her right hand over toni's desk.

"ah, the woman who just spilled hot coffee all over me" toni said dryly looking at cheryl's hand for a few seconds. she was about to retract her hand before toni finally accepted it, giving her a firm shake.

"please sit."

"i just want to start by apologizing. i really didn't mean to bump into you. my friend sent me a good luck text and i was just-"

"cheryl. it's fine." toni interrupted her rambling and cheryl closed her mouth immediately and nodded.

"do you have your resume?"

"a resume?" 

"yeah, a resume."

"well... no i-"

"how am i supposed to know about your skills and previous work if you don't have a resume?"

"well, i've worked at a bar since i was 17 and... that's about it but i-"

"you have got to be kidding me. a bar? you expect me to hire you when all you've done is work at a bar?"

"well i'm very-"

"were you the manager of said bar?"

"well, no i'm just a bartender but i-"

"i'm sorry. this job isn't for you."

"but-"

"thank you for your time, but we're done here"

without another word cheryl rose up from her seat and exited her office. she kept a straight face until she reached the elevators where she cried tears of anger. she really thought she had a shot. she knows she has so much to offer, and she woke up this morning so determined to get a better job, but she barely even had a chance to speak.

when she reached the bottom floor and exited the office building she pulled out her phone to text veronica. her thumbs punching her screen angrily.

 **cher**  
i'm omw home

 **ronnie**  
already? that was fast.

 **cher**  
yeah honestly fuck topaz

 **ronnie**  
oh no what happened

 **cher**  
i'll let you know when i get home. i'm about to hop on the subway.

-

cheryl enters the apartment, slamming the door shut and slumping her back against it with a huff. she rubs her right eye with the heel of her hand before pushing herself off the door. she makes her way into the living room to join veronica who is sitting on the couch, her legs crossed beneath her. cheryl tore her cross body purse off of her and slumps down on the couch.

"so i'm guessing it didn't go well?" veronica said before shoving a spoonful of ice cream in her mouth.

"it could not have gone worse." cheryl deadpanned as she removed her heels kicking them across the living room. she was so furious right now.

"what happened?"

"well, lets start with the fact that before even entering the building i accidentally bumped into this lady spilling hot coffee all over her."

"no way?"

"yeah and turns out that lady was not only the one i was interviewing with to be her assistant but she's also the founder and ceo of the company."

"holy shit! so was she pissed?"

"she was. and the first thing she said to me when i walked in was  _oh the one who spilled coffee on me,_ like damn"

"damn girl so was the interview awkward is that why it didn't go well?"

"bitch, there was hardly an interview."

"what do you mean?"

"well she asked to see my resume and i told her i didn't have one, so she was like how am i supposed to know yours skills or some shit, anyways, so i told her i worked at a bar and it was as if she suddenly had scum in her office. and she was all like  _sorry this job isn't for you_. and every time i tried to explain to her my skills and shit she just interrupted me like  _ugh_ give me a fucking chance to speak."

"wow that is so unprofessional."

"that's what i thought. such a damn shame, all that beauty gone to waste on such a pretentious, snooty, white collar-"

"wait a second did you just say beauty?"

"honestly ronnie, yeah she was gorgeous, but her attitude made her so unattractive."

"damn that  _is_  a shame."

cheryl sighed and leaned back against the couch, rubbing her temples with her thumb and pointer finger. cheryl has always been confident in herself, that's what has aided her into picking up so many girls. she's a sweet talker. but not even just picking up girls, it's gotten her out of parking and speeding tickets, got a better deals on orders for the bar, and she's really good at negotiating. and she can multitask like crazy. she has so much more to offer than just making drinks and she would have explained that but  _fucking_  topaz didn't even give her the chance. so it's safe to say her confidence was shot a little. she had such high hopes for this and it was gone in less that 2 minutes.

"cher you good?" veronica asked staring intently at cheryl as she got lost in her thoughts.

"i need a drink."

"well we're out of wine. want some ice cream." veronica extended the bowl with a lopsided smile.

"sure." cheryl took the bowl and spooned a dollop of birthday bash ice cream into her mouth. "it's just- i had such high hopes for this ya know?"

"so what now?"

"i guess i just gotta keep looking."

"why don't you ask f.p. to promote you to manager?" veronica suggested, mentioning their boss.

"you don't think i've asked. i'm basically the manager already, but he said there isn't enough money coming in for that kind of payroll."

"even with the bands we bring in every week. our bar is usually packed on weekends."

"well yeah but with no cover charge, and $3 drinks it's hard bring in a higher revenue, especially with the cut we give the bands to play, our profits barely increase, they basically break even. plus most the people who come to or bar are either regulars or broke college kids who just pre-gamed before coming."

"see this is why you deserve to be manager. you know shit."

"yeah this is also why i deserved that fucking job but miss snobby topaz wouldn't even let me fucking talk." cheryl finished stabbing the half melted mountain of ice cream with her spoon, reaching the bottom of the bowl.

"cher, you're fucking smart dude. and the best sweet talker i have ever met. you'll get another opportunity don't worry."

"thanks ronnie."

-

"well thank you so much and we will be in touch soon." toni said to the hipster looking man sitting in front of him. he rose from his chair, toni rising with him and reached across the desk to shake her hand.

"and don't forget what i said about the juice cleanse, it will do wonders for your body and skin."

"yeah thanks." toni faked a smile and as soon as he turned to walk out her smile dropped and she was shooting daggers into the back if his head with her eyes. 

she fell back into her chair and slammed her elbows on top of her desk and dropped her head into her hands. she released a frustrated groan just as there was a knock on the door and it opened with out her authorization.

"ha, that bad huh?" josie laughed as she walking into the office.

"15. 15 applicants. 15 people i have interviewed today and they were all subpar."

"they all couldn't have been that bad" josie said sitting on the side edge of toni's desk. toni rolled her eyes and leaned back in her chair.

"the last guy spent half the interview talking about some juice cleanse." toni deadpanned causing josie to laugh, "and, the first woman... not only has she done nothing but work at a bar basically her  _entire_ life but she was the one who spilled  _hot_ coffee on me this morning."

josie simply shook her head.  _'give them the benefit of the doubt'_ was on the tip of her tongue but she knew toni was in a mood and didn't feel like setting her off so she decided to drop it.

"so what are you gonna do?"

"i don't know. i'll probably extend the application and see if anymore people apply, but i  _have_  to pick someone by friday. i can't go another week without an assistant."

"well good luck." josie hopped off her desk and started to walk out but was stopped by toni's words

"oh speaking of friday. i can't do dinner."

"aw why not? friday's our gossip day."

"fangs is making me go to this...  _bar_ to watch he and his boyfriends band."

"aw i haven't seen fangs and joaquin in so long."

"you wanna tag along?"

"sure. i would love to."

"great i'll text fangs and let him know. i'll feel so much better having you there with me."

-

toni couldn't help it but she is dreading this evening. she really would rather not spend her friday night in some nasty bar that probably isn't up to date on their health codes, when she could be fine dining at a five star restaurant. but she hasn't seen fangs' band in over a year and she made a promise and toni topaz does not go back on her word.

as she was applying the finishing touches to her make up her phone vibrated next to her. it was a text from fangs informing her that he was here. she texted back to come in and she stood from her vanity and grabbed her purse before making her way down the stairs.

she entered the living room to see fangs sitting on the couch his feet propped on her coffee table, which made her eye twitch. he was wearing ripped faded blue jeans, a black muscle shirt and a faded jean vest that matched his pants. he had on a brown fedora that barely sat on the back of his head, that were the same color as his boots. in one ear he had a diamond stud and a cross dangling from his other ear, and john lennon sunglasses. she had to give it to him, her brother had style.

when he noticed her presence he lowered his glassed down the bridge of his nose and looked at toni with a disgusted look, to which she furrowed her brows in confusion.

"oh absolutely not." he said lowering his feet to the floor and standing up.

"what?"

"you need to change?"

"what's wrong with what i have on?" toni said looking down at her own outfit. she had on black pants and white and black polkadot blouse and a black blazer, with black pumps.

"you look like a bank teller. we're going to a bar, not a work event." fangs said and toni scoffed as he walked passed her towards the stairs.

"come on." 

without debate toni followed him up the stairs to her room and into her walk in closet. fangs stood with his hands on his hips as he scanned her clothing.

"you are in dire need of a new wardrobe."

"there is nothing wrong with my wardrobe. it's professional."

"it's boring, but seeing as you have no life and all you do is go to work, it's understandable."

"wow."

"don't give me that look. am i wrong?" fangs said and toni averted her gaze to the floor. "exactly, now let's see."

fangs ruffled through her clothing for a few minutes until he finally was able to piece something together. he handed her the only pair of skinny jeans, light washed, she owns and she put them on. she put on the black blouse he handed her and when she started butting the second to last button fangs swiped her hand away. he tucked the shirt into her jeans and unbutton the top few button of her shirt to put her cleavage on display. 

"fangs, i don't want to look like some floozy."

"you need to. when's the last time you got laid."

"that- that is none of your business." 

"so a  _long_  time got it. maybe you need to. it would loosen you up a bit."

fangs searched her shoe rack and picked up the tallest pair of black heels toni owned. they were only about 5 inches but it was better than the pumps she had on before. he kneeled down and tightened the straps on her feet as she stepped into each shoe. 

"alright now this hair." fangs grabbed toni's wrist and drug her out of the closet and sat her down it her vanity. he took the brown and blonde hair out of the clip it was in and the wavy hair cascading down her back. her parted her hair off centered and tucked the side with the least amount of hair behind her ear while the other side was thrown over the front of her shoulder.

"alright and now your make up. this natural look has got to go, you need to pop out." he dug through her make up drawer picking out her eye shadow and lipstick. he handed the supplies to her and she looked apprehensive at first but sighed and took it from him. she applied maroon eye shadow and covered her lips in the dark maroon lipstick.

"there." he said smiling at his work and toni stood and walked over to admire herself in her full length mirror.

"wow!" toni exclaimed. "you know you could have easily went to design school."

"i know. now come on i don't wanna be late." toni grabbed her lack clutch and followed her brother out of her home, and into his black 2007 mustang. 

-

"hey sweetheart what can i get you." cheryl leaned forward a bit on the bar as a woman with skin just a shade darker than hers and blonde hair smiled at her.

"surprise me?"

"you got it." cheryl winked and backed away from the bar as she started mixing the drink. she called it the cherry blossom. a mix of pineapple new amsterdam, cherry soda, and sprite, with a cherry kabob stuck inside. 

"hey cher!" veronica shouted over the music playing over the sound system, as cheryl mixed the drink.

"the keyboardist of the band wanted me to give you her number." veronica said handing her a small tore off piece of paper.

"thanks." cheryl said as she immediately pocketed the paper.

"well... you gonna call her?"

"i don't know." cheryl said as she shoved the cherry kabob into the drink. 

"here you go sweetheart." cheryl smiled and took the $10 bill from the woman, smiling when she told her to keep the change. 

"why not?"

"i don't know v."

"look, you said you wanted to start a relationship with someone, that's never gonna happen if you keep turning down every girl that talks to you."

cheryl sighed. veronica was right. she has been hit on by numerous women this week, 4 just today, but every single one she's turned down, only flirting to get her tip then moving on. but if she was ever gonna get what she wants she has to open herself back up. she looked up at the stage and made eye contact with the keyboardist, who smiled at her and she returned it.

"well she is pretty gorgeous." cheryl said admiring her light tan skin, curly brown hair, and green eyes.

"promise me you'll at least call her." veronica said with seriousness in her voice.

"okay. okay i'll call her tonight." cheryl said and she started to wipe down the bar. she looked up just as a small group of people walked in.

"holy fucking shit. you've got to be kidding me." cheryl suddenly said and veronica looked at her with a confused look.

"what?"

"you remember that interview a had a few days ago."

"yeah."

"look who just walked in. that's her."

"which one?"

"the shorter one" cheryl said glaring at the woman who just walked into the bar, she looked so uncomfortable.

"you were right she does look kinda snobby."

"and i was just starting to have a good night."

-

fangs pulled into a parking spot about a block away from the bar. when they reached the front door josie was waiting for them outside. toni was surprised at her outfit. she had on a long sleeved yellow sweater that rode up a bit, black jeans and thigh high heeled boots.

"wow josie you look... wow."

"thanks you do to."

"uh um" fangs cleared his throat.

"you do too fangs and it's so good to see you, it's been so long." josie said pulling fangs into a sweet hug.

"tell me about it. we definitely need to catch up soon. well... shall we." fangs said and the three of them entered the bar. 

toni was surprised, it was nicer than she thought but she still felt way out of her element. she held her clutch tightly as she looked around at all the people. she was glad fangs made her change, she would've stuck out like a sore thumb.

"drinks?" josie asked.

"i don't kn-"

"yes we're getting drinks." fangs interrupted toni, deciding for her. when she shot him a look he shot her the same one back. "it'll loosen you up. come on."

the three of them approached the bar and both toni and josie took a seat on a bar stool as fangs stood next to them and leaned his elbows on the counter. toni watched as two women were to the far right and they looked like they were bickering about something. she studied the back of redheaded woman who was shaking her head. for some reason that hair looked really familiar. she looked at the raven haired girl in front of her and could see her mouthing the word  _'go'_  repeatedly. she was confused but as soon as the redhead turned around and started walking towards them she understood.

"how are we doing this evening?" cheryl said charmingly.

"hey, you're that woman i interviewed right? the one who spilled coffee on me?" 

cheryl put on her best fake smile and simply nodded not trusting her smart mouth to talk right now.

"hi i'm cheryl, what can i get you all to drink?" 

"i'll have an armaretto sour." josie said with a smile.

"i'll just take a beer."

"um... do you have a wine menu?" toni asked and it took everything in cheryl to not roll her eyes.

"she'll have the same as me." josie interjected.

"coming right up." cheryl smiled and backed walk away from them as she started making their drinks. toni watched her as she expertly moved around behind the bar. she couldn't help but notice just how beautiful she was. her first impression tainted that when she ended up covered in hot coffee but wow, toni has never seen such beauty. her hair was pulled into a messy ponytail with a few strands hanging down the side of her face. instead of a concentrated look on her face the redhead was smiling and laughing as she talked to a few customers a few feet away from them. it's like her hands had minds of their own as she flipped the bottles and did silly tricks without even looking.

toni caught herself staring and forced herself to look away as she approached them with their drinks.

"alright i have two armaretto sours for the lovely ladies and one cold beer for the man with  _the_ greatest style i've ever seen." cheryl smiled as she set their drinks on the bar top in front of them.

"you're too kind... it's on me, keep the change." fangs said handing cheryl a $20 bill. the redhead smiled and walked away, with a parting thank you.

"hey!" fangs said excitedly as joaquin approached them, cupping his cheek and giving him a chaste kiss.

"hey, josie, toni, you made it."

"well fangs dragged me here kicking and screaming." toni smiled as she took a sip of her drink, the flavor catching her by surprise. she rose her eyebrows and hummed in appreciation. it was probably the best amaretto sour she has ever had. she completely zoned out of the conversation as she looked over at the mixologist. they made eye contact and the redhead offered her a small smile before turning around to grab a bottle from the shelf behind her.

"you ready?" joaquin said and fangs downed the rest of his beer before patting his sister on the back.

"lets rock!" 

toni gave him a smile as he followed joaquin to the stage. fangs picked up an all black electric guitar and threw it around his shoulder. he slid the guitar to rest behind his back and gripped the microphone in his hands.

"how we doin' tonight!" he shouted and a loud cheer erupted. toni just applauding while josie woo'd.

"my name is fangs and we are..." he brought the mic as close to his lips as possible and raspingly whispered, "the serpents!" 

toni watched amazed as fangs got completely lost in the music, and it was only the first song. he kicked his foot in the air and back away from the mic as he started his guitar solo, his fingers tickling the strings expertly. toni laughed when his stuck his tongue out and rapidly flicked it like a snake. toni was brought back when cheryl stood in front of them.

"you all need a refill?" 

"i'll have one!" josie said sipping the reminder of her drink through her tiny black straw.

"and for you?" cheryl turned towards toni and all toni could think was  _wow she has beautiful eyes._

"i'm actually okay right now thank you." 

cheryl smiled a tight lip smile and was about to walk away when she was stopped by josie.

"oh wait before you go. that other bartender, with the black hair..."

"which one. the tall one? the muscular one? or the woman?"

josie chuckled nervously, "the woman. is she..."

"she's bi and single." cheryl smiled with raised eyebrows. "would you like me to introduce you?"

"sure." josie bit her lip with a smile and rose from her bar stool.

"really?" toni asked with a raised eyebrow.

"hey my standards aren't as high as the empire state building like you, and i don't judge people based on status."

josie walked past toni and she rolled her eyes. she turned forward in her seat ad swirled her ice around her drink with her straw. she looked over at her best friend as she reached across the bar to shake the raven haired girl's hand. toni stared down at her empty glass and pondered josie's words.

_i don't judge people based on status._

toni looked back over at the two women and they had fallen into a conversation, the both of them smiling. it had only been two minutes and they're already smiling and even though toni couldn't hear their conversation they looked like they were talking like they've known each other for years.

_i don't judge people based on status._

josie grew up similar to toni. two parent household, comes from wealth, went to an ivy league college, drives a lexus, and lives in an upscale apartment. but here she was smiling and laughing giddily with this bartender.

"you okay? you need another?" cheryl said as she stood in front of toni, noticing she hasn't looked up from her drink in a while.

"actually yes, i'll have another." cheryl nodded as she started mixing her drink. toni looked back up at the stage. fangs leaned his back against joaquin as he played his guitar, and joaquin played his bass. before getting to lost in the performance cheryl's voice caused her to turn back around.

"here you are." she said with a smile, this time showing her teeth. 

_wow she has a beautiful smile._

"thank you, how much?"

"this one's on me." 

toni smiled and took a sip from her drink, humming appreciatively at the taste. she looked up at the redhead as she started removing the empty glasses from the bar and wiped down the counter.

 _i don't judge people based on status._  

"hey, i uh..." she started and cheryl perked her head up. "i realize i never really gave you much of a chance to talk at your interview and that was very unprofessional of me, so i apologize."

"it's okay, and i'm sorry about the coffee accident."

"so tell me? what are your skills."

"wait... seriously?"

"i didn't give you a chance so i'm giving you one now. impress me."

"well... i'm very punctual. i hate being late." 

toni nodded as she recalled the woman was 10 minutes early for her interview.

"i'm-"

"hey cheryl" suddenly the owner of the club walked up to her, "i think we're running low on burbon so if anyone asks just say we're out so it can last till monday."

"oh i noticed we were running low a couple days ago. i order a new case,  _and_  convinced them to give it to us for half price for loyalty, they're in the back."

"ugh what would i do without you cheryl." he said and walked away.

"sorry about that. as i was saying i'm very organized. very ambitious. i'm-"

"cher!" reggie interrupted. "whats 15% of $36?"

cheryl threw her head back and closed her eyes and toni watched as her mouth mumbled.

"$5.40" 

"thanks." the boy walked away and cheryl apologized again.

"as i was saying, i love running errands, it's actually my favorite thing to do in my free time. and, i'm not trying to be boastful or anything but i basically manage this place. our boss, f.p., said i would be promoted to manager but their isn't enough money coming in for the higher payroll."

toni nodded. "and, you didn't attend university?"

"i would have loved to, i got good grades in grade school, graduated with a 3.2, but i just couldn't afford it." cheryl shrugged with the slight look of disappointment on her face.

"cheryl i sincerely apologize for not giving you the chance to say this in our interview. consider me impressed."

"thank you."

"so, would you still like the job?"

"more than anything. i know i may not have a college degree or any other previous work experience but i just want to do more with my life than just this" she gestured around the bar. "and i promise i will work so hard."

"well congratulations, you're hired. can you start monday?"

"oh yes yes. absolutely! thank you so much. i won't let you down." cheryl stuck her hand over the bar and toni accepted it, giving her a firm shake.

-

the serpents had finished their set, and the crowd was starting to fizzle out as the bar was an hour away from closing. cheryl and her work chums had already finished making drinks for last call and started to clean up behind the bar, and the tables scattered around the bar. 

toni, josie, fangs and joaquin walked by the bar as they headed towards the exit. cheryl look up and waved goodbye.

"see you monday" toni said.

"monday?" josie asked with a raised eyebrow.

"yes. cheryl will be my new assistant."

"wait what!" veronica exclaimed up from beside her.

"well i guess i'll see you on monday too. and i'll see  _you_  tomorrow, veronica." josie said with a wink. cheryl open and closed her mouth with her eyes wide and eyebrows raised. the group exited the bar with one final wave.

"oh my  _God."_

"you have a job!"

"and you have a girlfriend." cheryl nudged veronica with her elbow.

"shut up we're not girlfriends yet."

"emphasis on the  _yet."_ cheryl wiggled her eyebrows and veronica scratched her head and her cheeks turned red.

"there's only one more thing left to do." cheryl took out the slip of paper with the keyboardists phone number on it. she admired the name above the number written in beautiful cursive.she took her phone out of her back pocket and took a deep breath as she typed in the number and held the phone up to her ear, veronica looking at her with anticipation.

"valerie?... hey this is cheryl, from the bar."

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes. josieronnie is happening in this fic... cheryl and valerie? that should be interesting... fangs and joaquin are so cute... and is toni developing a *gasp* a crush?... them working together is about to get real interesting.
> 
> until next time :)


	3. nice work toni

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cheryl's first week at topaz magazine.
> 
> umm smut warning but it's not that graphic and it's really brief... you'll see...
> 
> enjoy :)
> 
> also, there probably wont be an update for wherever i go tomorrow. i haven't had much time to write this week and anytime i did have went to writing this. but i'll get the next chapter out as soon as possible.

bright and early monday morning, cheryl reached over to turn her phone alarm off. she threw her covers off and climbed out of bed. after a hot shower, she went into her closet searching through some of the clothes josie leant to her on sunday. she had stopped by to pick up veronica for their second date and brought over a hanging bag with some outfits. 

_cheryl was sitting on the couch in her pajamas, twirling her fork in her bowl of chicken flavored ramen noodles when there was a knock on the door. she was about to rise to answer it when veronica ran out of her room._

_"i got it."_

_cheryl smiled shaking her head. she had never seen her best friend this excited for a date before._

_the raven haired girl opened the door to reveal josie holding a hanging bag in her hand._

_"hey you"_

_"hey yourself." josie smiled as she walked inside the apartment. "hey cheryl."_

_"hey, what's in the bag?"_

_"these... are... actually clothes for you?"_

_"what?"_

_"veronica was telling me how you were nervous you didn't have many professional style clothes so i brought you some things to wear, that will last you a couple weeks, you can mix and match, you know."_

_"josie that's really sweet but i don't know." cheryl said apprehensively. she didn't want to be treated like a charity case._

_"look, don't think of it as a handout._ _you borrow veronica's clothes all the time right? just think of it as a_ _friend lending another friend clothes."_

_"friends?"_

_"well seeing as i'm dating your best friend, i'd say yeah. unless you don't want to be."_

_"no no yeah i totally do. uh... thank you, josie." cheryl said with a smile standing from the couch to take the bag._

she knew the first thing she was gonna do when she got her first paycheck was go buy some professional clothes. but for now she would have to make do with josie's clothes. and she had to admit, josie had style, even for professional wear, her clothes were really cute.

cheryl picked out a black pencil skirt, a navy blue button up, and a black blazer over it. she put on a pair of black heels that were high enough to look good, but low enough to be comfortable, she packed her purse with a pair of black flats just in case. her makeup was natural and she pulled her hair back into a tight bun. 

she exited her room, and stopped in the kitchen to grab a granola bar before exiting her apartment.

although extremely excited, cheryl was also very nervous. she was really grateful for the opportunity and she just wanted to make not only toni proud but herself proud. and even though she was only an assistant, she wanted people to treat her like an equal. her biggest fear going into this big time, city job was that people would look down their noses at her, and treat as anything less than equal. especially because that's how toni treated her when she had her first interview. yeah, she redeemed herself when she gave her another chance, but she would never forget how she basically dismissed her at first, and first impressions mean a lot. 

she walked off the subway and up the stairs to ground level. it was late july so the air was hot. she checked the time on her phone, and she still had about hour to get to work so she walked into the starbucks a block away from the office building. the line was pretty long so by the time she received her order she had about 25 minutes to get to work.

she entered the glass door and waved at the dest receptionist before running to an elevator, sliding in just before it closed. 

"hey cheryl." a man's voice said and cheryl looked behind her and smile when she located the voice.

"hey kevin!" 

the elevator stopped on the 10th floor and when a few people exited kevin moved to stand next to cheryl.

"congrats on getting the job."

"thanks. it if weren't for you i wouldn't be here so thank  _you."_

"no problem. you nervous?"

"a little."

"don't be you're gonna kill it." kevin patted her on the back with a reassuring smile, "and don't let toni intimidate you, she may seem like a hard ass but she's really a softie."

"toni?"

"yes. toni topaz. but don't call her that. the last assistant she had called her that and she looked like she was seconds away from ripping her apart."

cheryl nodded her head in understanding. suddenly she was very nervous for this. and kevin, although being incredibly sweet, didn't help calm her nerves at all. if anything he helped heighten them.

the elevator reached the 21st floor and cheryl followed kevin out, down the small hallway, pass the secretary's desk, through the double doors into the office. there was still a little over 10 minutes before her actual shift started. she and kevin split up when he reached his office and her departed with a 'good luck' and a pat on the back. 

she wove through the office until she reached the familiar double doors. she took a deep breath and knocked on the door with her free hand that wasn't holding coffee.

"come in" she heard, muffled by the door and she opened the door and entered the office.

when cheryl walked in, toni looked up from her computer and was honestly taken aback. this woman standing before her looked nothing like the woman she met at the bar 3 days ago. 

"wow cheryl you look..." 

toni paused to fully look at her.

_beautiful._

"what is something wrong? do i have a stain?" cheryl looked down to asses her shirt.

"no, no, you just look...professional. i almost didn't recognize you."

cheryl arched her eyebrow and toni realized that came out wrong.

"i mean that as a compliment." toni blurted out and cheryl simply nodded.

"i uh, stopped to get coffee, and i got you one. i don't know how you like it so i just got it black." cheryl said setting the cup tray with two coffee's on her desk. her heart skipped a beat when toni gave her a weird look she couldn't quite read. it almost looked disapproving. suddenly cheryl remembers when she spilled coffee on her a week ago. the liquid was tan.

_damn she probably doesn't drink it black. stupid._

"i apologize if i got the order wrong, i didn't know. if you tell me i can run and get you another one or-."

"cheryl." toni stopped her from rambling. "it's fine. but you're my assistant, not my servant. you don't have to pay for my coffee. i'm not going have you running around getting me food and drinks all day. but,  _if_  i ever ask you to get one for me, i'll give you the money okay?"

"i understand. i just wanted to thank you for giving me this opportunity."

"you can thank me by just doing a good job. deal?"

cheryl nodded. her heart calming down a little bit. toni motioned for her to sit down and for about an hour she informed cheryl of her responsibilities and what she expects from her. cheryl nodded and listened tentatively as she wrote everything down. her job didn't seem to hard, and it was definitely manageable. 

after explaining her duties toni ushered cheryl out of her office to a desk that sat just outside her door.

"here is your desk. feel free to personalize it however you like." toni said to her and cheryl couldn't help the wide smile that grew on her face as she looked down at the expensive wood. she had a desk. an actual desk where she works. toni's lips curled into a small smile as she watched cheryl smooth her hand over the surface of the desk. 

after a few moments of letting cheryl admire her desk toni led her back to her office to give her the first task of the day.

"so the first thing i need you to do is take this to the copy room." toni said handing cheryl a piece of paper over her desk. "if you go past the break room and around that corner it's the first room on your left. i need 20 copies and stick one in each of these mail boxes." toni handed cheryl another piece of paper that had a list of names on it.

"do you want me to tri-fold the papers or-"

"you don't have to fold them. and when you're done with that come back in here and i'll give you your next assignment."

"yes miss topaz."

toni chuckled to herself as cheryl stood up and left her office. toni smiled as she watched her walk away

-

it didn't take cheryl long at all. and she returned 10 minutes later after knocking on her door and being informed to come in.

"finished already?" 

"yes." 

"excellent." cheryl stood there as toni picked up her phone, pressing one button before bringing it to her ear. "jessica... can you meet cheryl at her desk please, she's ready... thank you." toni moved some papers around her desk before finding what she was looking for.

"jessica is going to set up an account for you so you can access the computer, as well as an email. and when she's done that i need you to call everyone on this list. i need new content for my next issue and i need meetings as soon as possible, and i know you are a good negotiator. i have a script for you to follow stapled on the back, you got it?"

"yes, miss topaz." cheryl rose from her chair and was about to exit when she was stopped by toni's voice.

"cheryl?" toni said and cheryl turned around before reaching the door.

"if you don't mind me asking, how old are you?"

"i'm 26, 27 in two months."

"well seeing as you're only a few months younger me i think it would be inappropriate for you to call me miss topaz. so please, call me toni."

"okay... toni." 

toni smiled and cheryl returned it before exiting her office. 

-

the first day was unexpectedly easy. aside from her first two tasks all cheryl had to do was forward calls to toni's office. but she was loving it. finally getting paid to do something other than make drinks was everything she's ever wanted. and she got to sit down while doing it. don't get her wrong she loves working at the bar, in fact she has a shift tonight, but standing for 5 plus hours was tiring.

cheryl was also glad her fear of people treating her as less than never came true. people were actually really nice and welcoming. josie even invited her to eat lunch with her in her offie when she walked past her desk and saw cheryl pull a sandwich and a bag of chips out of her purse.

"taking lunch?" josie had asked.

"yeah."

josie picked up cheryl's sandwich and chips and motioned for her to follow her. they spent majority of that hour talking about veronica.

after lunch the day went by surprisingly fast. she knows she only works a 9 to 5 but it was currently 5:15 and she hasn't seen any sign of toni leaving, so she stayed put, saying bye to people as they left the office.

around 5:45 toni emerged from her office and furrowed her brows in confusion when she noticed cheryl still sitting at her desk.

"hey what are you still doing here, you know you can leave at 5." toni said as she locked her office door.

"well i'm your assistant and you were still here, so i stayed behind in case you needed, well, assistance."

toni couldn't help but smile. her last assistant was out the door without so much as a goodbye at 5 on the dot. this girl was full of surprises.

"well thank you, i really appreciate that."

cheryl followed toni out of the office, the silence around them as they entered the elevator was a little awkward. she was sure it was awkward for toni as well.and toni was the first to break the silence.

"you know..." toni started, "you've really impressed me today."

"really?" cheryl arched an eyebrow. she couldn't help her inner thoughts.

_is it because you didn't think someone who worked at a bar had potential to answer phone calls and work a copy machine._

"well, yeah i didn't expect someone who's only worked at a bar her entire life would be this efficient."

_ah, there it is._

toni honestly meant that as a compliment but when she saw the pure disappointment in cheryl's eyes she scrambled to get her words together.

"wait, i didn't mean- God i am so bad at talking to people." toni mumbled the last part under her breath but not low enough to where cheryl couldn't hear, and she looked at her with furrowed brows. "i really meant that as a compliment. i'm just saying that i misjudged you at first. today was only your first day and you've already proved me wrong."

cheryl responded with a simple thank you. she knew she was good at her job but she had to be humble in front of her boss. 

they reached the ground floor and exited the building. toni nodded as daniel handed her the keys to her car, that was already parked on the street.

"is this your car?" cheryl asked as they approached a black lexus.

"she is."

"nice." cheryl said admiring the luxurious wheels. "well, see you tomorrow morning" 

toni smiled with a wave as she stood in between her car and the opened front door. she watched as cheryl walked away. her eyes locked on the back of her head as she disappeared between the heavy walking traffic of new yorkers. her lips curled into a side smile as she fell down into the drivers seat of her car.

the rest of that day she couldn't get her out of her mind.

_my standards aren't as high as the empire state building like you, and i don't judge people based on status._

-

cheryl walked into her apartment and threw her keys on the coffee table as she flopped down on the couch next to her best friend, immediately removing her heels.

"how was your first day." veronica asked.

"it was great actually. toni..."

"toni what?" veronica asked when cheryl trailed off.

"she's not  _as_  snobby as i thought. i mean she's a little snobby, but it's like bearable you know what i mean."

"what did she say?"

"well first she said she didn't recognize me in these clothes, which kinda put me off a little bit but she said she meant it as a compliment so i let it go. but then she said she was  _shocked_  by how efficient i got shit done. and i was thinking,  _damn_  you really didn't think a poor girl like me was capable of doing the easiest fucking job ever."

"what did she have you do?"

"just make copies, and answer the phone."

"wow."

"but whatever, the pay is amazing so i'm not gonna complain."

"did you talk to josie today?"

"oh yeah me and josie had a  _great_  conversation at lunch today."

"did you talk about me?"

"oh we talked about you alright. i told her about all the embarrassing things you did when we were kids."

"you did not!" veronica said hitting cheryl's arm with the back of her hand.

"oh i did. but don't worry i think she likes you even more now."

"good. so what about you and valerie?"

"we've been texting everyday since friday. she's been busy with band rehearsals and stuff but we're finally going on a date this saturday."

"wow both of us are dating. i never thought i'd see the day."

"tell me about it."

-

thursday. it's been the fastest week for cheryl, but the slowest for toni. usually she keeps her door closed to block out distraction, but maybe she wanted a little distraction. and when her office door was open she could see cheryl sitting at her desk.

toni didn't know what the fuck was going on. ever since interviewing cheryl at her bar, she couldn't get the redhead out of her mind. she was incredibly beautiful. the most beautiful woman she has ever laid her eyes on. usually toni wouldn't look twice at someone who wasn't her equal or higher, but she just couldn't get her out of her mind. and she was smart, and got work done quicker than any other assistant she's had, which was extremely impressive.

so, this week went by incredibly slow. she wanted to talk to cheryl. get to know her,  _you know_ , just as a boss assistant relationship. but it's been a long time since toni has taken a liking to someone and she couldn't seem to talk about anything other than work.

so at 4 o'clock thursday afternoon as toni was heading to the break room for a bottle of water she heard cheryl's voice, not just her voice, her laugh. she had an amazing laugh. oh how toni wished she could see the smile that came with that laugh. she entered the break room and saw cheryl and josie laughing, sitting on stools around the island in the center of the break room.

"oh my God yes! that was soo funny!" josie said holding her stomach as she doubled over in laughter. cheryl hit her palm on the table, her eyes squinted shut as she laughed equally as hard.

"whats going on?" toni said as she entered the break room. she crossed the room to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water. she closed the door and walked over to the other side of the island as the two women's laughter died down.

"we were just talking about this movie we watched last night-" cheryl started, her own laughter cutting her off.

"you watched a movie last night?" toni asked, her eyebrow raising in confusion.

"yeah josie came over last night to hang with veronica and she insisted that i stay and be a third wheel"

"oh right, how are things with you two?" 

"things are great." josie said with bright smile. toni noticed she's had a certain glow this entire week. veronica must be a wonderful woman because she hasn't seen her best friend this happy in years.

"that's great... so, cheryl have you finished everything on the list today?" 

"yep, finished about 30 minutes ago." she replied, and toni wanted to raise her eyebrows in surprise. she gave her a pretty hefty list. one that would have taken betty 3 days to complete.

"wow, amazing. well, if you want you may leave early."

"excellent. thank you. i'll see you bright an early tomorrow morning." cheryl hopped down from the stool she was sitting on and placed her hand on josie's shoulder, giving both women a smile before heading out of the break room.

josie looked at toni with a raised eyebrow as she watched her walk away, with what josie thought looked like longing in her eyes.

"holy shit." josie said snapping toni out of her daze.

"what?"

"you like her."

"what? no i don't."

"what's with the longing gaze then?"

"i wasn't gazing longingly at her?"

_i was, i so was._

"yes you were toni. you like her."

"please that's ridiculous."

"what's ridiculous? falling for someone like her?" 

josie gave toni a look and toni's face was instantly struck with guilt, she knew she was talking about veronica as well.

"no, not because of that. i honestly don't care about her social status. not anymore. i just... i don't like her josie, okay."

it really wasn't that crazy of an assumption for josie to think. toni was in fact gazing longingly at cheryl. has been for the past couple of days. but toni can't like her. there are so many reasons why she can't, none of them having to do with cheryl. the last person she dated stole from her, so she had trust issues. plus cheryl was her assistant. so toni couldn't like her. she  _couldn't._

"okay..." josie sang before exiting the break room, leaving toni to her own thoughts.

_i can't._

-

_toni's head fell back against her pillows. she shut her eyes tightly as her mouth parted and a moan escaped her lips. she grip her black satin sheets, twisting them between her fingers. she arched her back off the bed with a low moan, as finger nails dug into her hips. her feet were planted on the bed, legs bent up, as her heels dug into the mattress._

_her eyes shot open and she sat up on her elbows, as she looked at the person in between her legs, that familiar hair coving their face. she fell back against the pillows once more as she writhed beneath the skilled tongue working her center._

_her breathing picked up into panting, and her forehead was glistening with sweat, as she started to climb higher and higher to her release. the feeling was indescribably amazing. but before she could reach her peak the feeling was suddenly gone. the person in between her legs rose up and as toni opened her eyes she was staring right into the eyes of-_

_"cheryl?"_

_the redhead opened her mouth to speak but instead of words coming out, it was the blaring sound of her alarm._

toni shot up to a sitting position, a light sheen of sweat covering her body, and she was breathing heavily. the alarm on her phone was still blaring beside her and she reached over to turn it off.

"what the fuck?" she groaned to herself before she fell back down against the pillows and covered her face with her hands.

after a cold shower, she got dressed for the day stopping for a much needed coffee and heading to her office. 

once inside the doors of topaz she marched straight to josie's office and closed the glass door behind her.

"morning toni... are you okay? you look a little-"

"i had a sex dream about cheryl." toni blurted out, cutting her off.

"holy shit."

"i- i think- i think i might like her" toni said sitting at the edge of her desk.

"seriously?"

"josie i haven't been able to stop thinking about her since the bar. what do i do?"

"i don't think you can do anything."

"what do you mean?"

"toni... i think she's dating someone."

"really? how do you know?"

"well i stopped by the bar last night to see veronica and cheryl was talking to this girl, i think she was the keyboardist in fangs' band-"

"valerie?"

"yeah i guess. and ronnie said they're going on their first date this saturday."

"it's only their first date..."

"yeah."

"so they aren't official or anything."

"that's not the point toni. she's seeing someone else."

toni crossed her arms and released a long sigh. without any parting words she left josie's office. toni couldn't just bury these feelings. she know's valerie. she was a girl hopper. it wont last. she'll have her time. but for now she just has to wait. she'll get to know cheryl as a friend first, and when valerie ends things with cheryl, that's when toni will swoop in. she wouldn't just give it up. she hasn't had actual feelings for someone since college, there was no way she was just gonna drop it.

-

at the end of the day, at 5 o'clock on the dot, toni locked up her office and made her way to the front of cheryl's desk as the redhead started gathering her things. she smiled as she noticed that cheryl has started personalizing her desk. she picked up a picture frame that sat at the corner of her desk. it was a picture of cheryl and veronica with their arms wrapped around each others shoulders. they looked young, probably high school age.

"that was the first day of our senior year of high school." cheryl said when she noticed toni looking at the picture. "one of our foster brothers took it for us."

toni's head snapped up, her mouth open in shock. "you were in foster care?"

"yep, since i was about 7."

"did you get-"

"adopted? no. people were only interested in adopting infants. plus we were trouble makers, i'll admit it, and that made it harder for families to want us. but ronnie is my family, she's basically my sister, and reggie and sweet pea are like my annoying brothers."

"reggie and sweet pea?"

"the other two bartenders from the bar. they live right next door to us, we've known them since we were 18."

toni nodded and smiled as she set the picture back down. her plan of getting to know cheryl was already working.

"so do you have any plans tonight?  josie, kevin and i usually get dinner every friday, you can join us if you want."

"um... i can't i-"

"if you can't afford it i don't mind paying for you." toni cringed as soon as the words left her mouth, and the look on cheryl's face made her wish she could go back in time. 

"what you don't think i can afford a $20 steak?"

"i didn't mean it like that honestly, i-"

"no it's okay. i was  _gonna_  say i have to work tonight. but i'm sure you're just not used to talking to people who grew up poor, and work in a bar and have to take subway to work." cheryl swung her purse over her shoulder and made her way to the front doors of the office.

"cheryl wait, i'm sorry."

"it's okay, toni, really. see you monday." and with that cheryl left the office. toni sighed and slumped down against the front of cheryl's desk.

_nice work toni._

 

 

 


	4. toni fucked up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> back with another update, sorry it took so long but its here :)
> 
> last chapter toni fucked up and this chapter she has to fix it.
> 
> also cheryl and valerie are getting close, really close.
> 
> enjoy and catch me on twitter @cheryltoepaz

cheryl flicked her finished cigarette on the ground and squished it with the toe of her black vans. she open the backdoor to the club and stepped inside, rock music already playing over the sound system. as cheryl walked towards the bar she pulled her hair up and tied the scrunchie that was on her wrist around her hair into a messy ponytail. she walked around the bar and threw her bag in one of the cubbies underneath it before tying a black apron around her waist. a rather chipper veronica literally skipped up to her.

"hey cher! i haven't seen you al day! how was work?"

"eh it was okay." cheryl responded with a shrug.

"oh no. what happened?"

"you remember when i said toni isn't as bad as i thought." cheryl started and veronica just nodded. "well i was fucking wrong."

"what did she say?"

"well she invited me out to dinner with her, josie and kevin. and i started to tell her no because i work but she had the nerve to say  _well if you cant afford it i can pay for you,_ like what?"

"well maybe she didn't mean it like that."

"she probably didn't but the fact that she still said it made me feel about this big" cheryl made an inch with her thumb and pointer finger. "like that pissed me off. just because i'm not rich doesn't mean i cant afford a $20 steak. and i know she was just trying to be generous or whatever but  _ugh."_

"look don't worry about her okay. you just keep doing your job."

cheryl knew what toni said shouldn't have affected her this much. but it is. her biggest fear is coming to reality by the one person she wanted to impress the most. her boss who took a chance on her basically calling her poor really just made her upset. but veronica was right. cheryl isn't gonna take it to heart, she's just gonna keep doing her job, and hopefully toni will see her as more than just some girl from a bar she hired, which is exactly how she thinks toni feels right now.

"anyways on to something more important. you and valerie... first official date tomorrow." veronica nudged cheryl with her elbow, taking her out of her thoughts.

"i know. i'm so excited but really nervous at the same time."

"why are you nervous? you're basically a pro when it comes to girls."

"well, i actually like valerie, and this is the first _real_  date i've been on."

"just give her some of that cheryl magic." veronica wiggled her eyebrows with a smirk.

"v, no. we're not having sex on the first date."

" _what?"_ veronica asked, actually shocked.

"i wanna do this right. so no we will not be fucking on the first date. now the second date, no promises." cheryl shrugged.

"yeah... sure..." veronica said sarcastically.

-

toni slumped into the drivers seat of her car and slammed the door shut. she slammed her elbows on the steering wheel and dropped her face into her palms.

"shit"

she felt so fucking bad. she basically just told cheryl she was too poor to afford a nice dinner. she honestly didn't mean it like that but as soon as she said it, the second the words left her mouth, she instantly regretted it. 

she knows that cheryl hasn't had the easiest life financially, but she felt like an idiot for assuming she couldn't afford a nice meal just because of her status. for all she knows cheryl has probably saved every paycheck and tip she's ever gotten and is probably swimming in cash.

"fucking idiot" she hit the top of the steering wheel with the heel of her hand.

toni just wanted a chance to get to know cheryl more. spend time with her outside of work. and she was making progress but her stupid word vomit set her back about five steps. how was she supposed make up for that.

toni huffed in frustration and jammed her finger on her push to start, slammed the gear shift to drive and she screeched away making her way to the restaurant to meet josie and kevin. 

when toni arrived at the restaurant she followed the hostess as she led them to a table already occupied by kevin and josie.

toni slumped in her chair and noticed a glass of chardonnay was already sitting there waiting for her. she picked up the glass and took a large sip.

"everything okay?" kevin asked, after he and josie shared a peculiar look.

"i fucked up."

"oh no what did you do?" josie asked. toni drew in a big breath, raising her shoulders and dropping them as she released a sigh.

"well i invited cheryl to have dinner with us today, and she said she couldn't and before she could even tell me the reason i may have accused her of not being able to afford it." toni mentally kicked herself again as she told her friends what she said. 

"oh toni." josie said not even trying to hide the judgement in her voice.

"what did she say?" kevin asked.

"she went off on me, but not in a rude way though. her voice was completely calm." toni's eyes went wide as she just had a realization, and josie said exactly what she was thinking in that moment.

"it's probably not the first time someone has made an assumption like that about her."

toni groaned and took another sip of her wine. "now i feel even worse about it. how am i supposed to make it up to her."

"you could start by apologizing." kevin suggested.

"i did as soon as i said it. i told her i didn't mean it how i said it."

"even if you didn't mean it like that, you still said it." 

toni rolled her eyes at josie's words. not at josie, but at herself. even if she didn't mean it she did still say it which means deep down in she was already thinking it. 

_yep, i'm in deep shit._

"what should i do to show her just how sorry i am?"

"you know we've had a lot of conversations, and do you know what her biggest fear was before starting at topaz?" josie asked.

"what?" 

"being treated as less than."

_oh, fucking great._

toni audibly groaned and rubbed the back of her neck with her hand. of course that was her biggest fear, a fear that toni didn't even  _think_  to think about or consider. this is cheryl's first real job, and she's surrounded by people who never even had to worry or think twice about rent. hell her fucking boss lives in a mansion with private chefs and a staff. of course cheryl would worry about being treated exactly how toni just treated her.

"so what do i do?" toni asked.

"treat her like an equal, just like she deserves because you and i, as well as almost everyone in the office know she is damn good at her job and it's only been a week."

toni just nodded. josie was right. that's all she needed to do. toni started to think about what cheryl said to her.

_i'm sure you're just not used to talking to people who grew up poor, and work in a bar and have to take subway to work.  
_

she was absolutely right. all of toni's friends came from high class, and she's only ever associated herself with people of such. aside from her con ex-boyfriend. but cheryl wasn't like him at all. hell, she's currently working two jobs to own her own money. 

come monday toni was going to be a better boss and try to be a friend. she wasn't gonna make the same mistake again that she made today.

-

there was a knock on the door. veronica, who was leaning against the kitchen counter waiting for her microwavable mac and cheese to finish cooking, laughed when she heard cheryl scream from her bedroom.

"i'm not ready yet!"

"don't worry i got it!" veronica shouted back with a chuckle. she made her way to the front door and opened it to reveal valerie. "hey valerie, come on in, cheryl's just finishing getting ready."

veronica ushered the girl in the apartment and the girl took a seat on the couch as veronica went to the kitchen to take her mac and cheese out of the microwave. she poured the packet of cheese inside and stirred it with a fork as she made her way to the couch and sat next to valerie.

"you excited for your date?"

"yeah, i've been thinking about it all week. we've been so crazy busy with work so i'm glad we finally have a chance to do this."

"well can i be honest with you?"

"sure..." 

veronica scooted closer and lowered her voice

"she would kill me if she knew i told you this, but she's really nervous."

"really? why?"

"well, she just doesn't want to mess this up. she likes you."

valerie just smiled and before she had a chance to respond cheryl's bedroom door opened. the two girls looked up as she walked into the living room. 

"hey you." valerie smiled as she stood up from the couch.

"hey, i hope she wasn't telling any embarrassing stories of me."

"oh no, not at all. you ready?"

"i'm ready." cheryl placed her hand in valerie's extended one and they headed for the front door.

"see you ronnie" cheryl said turning back when the reached the front door.

"bye, have fun!"

-

the two women hopped in a cab and went to a movie. they saw a rom-com or some action movie, cheryl didn't really focus on the plot. 10 minutes into the film valerie reached over and interlaced their fingers, and valerie smiled when she heard a tiny gasp and fingers squeeze her hand back.

cheryl felt like a fucking teenager. she could have any girl on her knees with with just a few minutes of talking her up, but when valerie grabbed her hand she felt like a fucking teenager on their first date. while yes this is her first technical date, it's not her first rodeo. this was brand new territory for her, but she liked it.

valerie placed their joined hands in her lap and cheryl tried to chill out and focus on the movie the movie, but soon she felt a finger tracing circles on the back of her hand and that's all cheryl seemed to be able to think about. along with forcing herself to not grab her hand and drag her to the bathroom. 

after the movie the two found themselves at a pizza parlor. it was a saturday night and extremely packed but they learned that it was both of their favorite pizzerias. after waiting in line for about 25 minutes they got their slices and sat in down in a booth by a window, just as the sun was setting.

the two fell into an easy conversation. they talked about everything. their childhoods, their hobbies, their dreams and aspirations, and how valerie got into music.

"so why did you name the band the serpents?" cheryl asked, taking a sip of her orange soda.

"well fangs started the band and his favorite animal is a snake, hence the nickname fangs."

"what's his real name?"

"well you didn't hear this from me, and if you ever tell him i told you i'll just deny it."

"oh just tell me, dramatic."

"his real name is fogarty."

" _fogarty?"_ cheryl said with a bright laugh.

"yep." valerie responded joining in her laughter.

"so you work at a magazine company now huh? so do you want to be a writer." valerie asked once their laughter subsided.

"yeah, but i don't know maybe someday. right now i'm just an assistant."

"hey, everyone's gotta start somewhere. what company do you work at?"

"topaz."

"topaz? as in toni topaz?"

"yeah, i'm actually her assistant. why? you know her?" 

"yeah, she's fangs' sister."

"what!?" cheryl asked completely shocked.

"well step sister, but they're really close they might as well be blood related."

"really?" cheryl did not see that coming, especially them being so close considering they are polar opposites. "so that's why she was at the bar last week."

"yep." valerie nodded. 

cheryl was still shocked by this information. she couldn't believe fangs and toni were siblings. toni was such a snob and fangs seemed like the chillest laid back dude. 

"can i be honest about something?" valerie said after a few moments of silence.

"sure."

"veronica told me you were really nervous about our date today."

cheryl's eyes went wide and her cheeks became flushed with slight embarrassment. 

_what the fuck ronnie._

"i'm gonna kill her."

"she told me you would if you knew she told me. but i think this has gone really well so far. don't you?"

"no, yeah this night has been amazing so far."

"so why were you so nervous?"

"well... if we're gonna start something i should be honest and upfront."

cheryl was extremely nervous and her heart started pounding. she was about to tell valerie the truth.  _the truth._ and a million thoughts were running through her mind. 

_what if she runs? what if she can't trust me after i tell her?_

but cheryl made herself a promise that she would do things differently, and cheryl has always been honest about her intentions with her previous partners, even though they sometimes hurt.

_here goes nothing._

"i don't have the best track record when it comes to women. i have a reputation of one night stands and ghosting them. but i don't want to be that person anymore. i was getting sick of being that person. i want connection. a relationship. i just want something different. that's also why started working at topaz because i wanted to do more with my life than just work at a bar and fu- i mean have relations with different women every night."

cheryl paused and watched as valerie absorbed that information. her face was hard to read and that made her even more nervous, so she just continued.

"and i completely understand if you don't want to start something with me any more because of that or-"

"cheryl." valerie stopped her rambled. she reached her hand over the table, palm up and cheryl sighed and relaxed as she placed her hand in valeries. "everyone has a past, and i couldn't care less about yours. of course i still wanna start something with you. and the fact that you were completely honest with me upfront says that i can trust you."

"okay." was all cheryl could say and she smiled.

"so... what's your body count?"

"oh trust me you don't want to know. all you need to know is i'm clean. i got tested a couple days ago after work."

"good to know." valerie said with a smirk, and cheryl swears she saw her eyes flick down to her lips.

_oh shit._

-

valerie walks cheryl home. it's only 10 o'clock, the night is so young and the one thing cheryl would love to do the finish off the most perfect date, she told herself she wouldn't. they stop in the hallway outside of her apartment door. both their hands interlaced in between them.

"i had a great night." valerie says softly. cheryl is staring into her eyes and she has that look.

_dammit, stay strong cheryl._

"me too, we should do this again, and soon."

"we should."

valerie takes a tiny step forward and cheryl's breath hitches. cheryl's flicks her eyes down to valerie's lips. they're full, just like she likes. they look so soft and kissable. she want's nothing more than to dig her teeth into them. 

_stop._

cheryl raises her eyes back up to valerie's eyes. and before she has time to register anything valeries face is two inches away from hers.

"can i kiss you?"

cheryl responds by leaning in and their lips connect for the first time. 

_ugh, her lips are so soft._

their hands disconnect and valerie's cup her face while cheryl's hands land on her waist. valerie pushes forward more and deepens the kiss. they push and pull against each other for a good while, a few people have left their apartments and walked past them but neither girl couldn't care less. 

cheryl feels valerie's tongue flick her top lips and she welcomes it into her mouth. cheryl is letting her control the kiss, trying her best to keep her heart rate normal and stop her from taking this girl right here in the hallway. 

but soon the kiss turns heated and she lowers her hands down to valerie's back side before quickly sliding them up to her lower back. she's turned on now, and both of their breathing has increased.

_cheryl._

_cheryl don't._

_control yourself._

_cheryl._

cheryl feels her back being slammed into the wall and her dominant side kicks in immediately. she digs her nails into valerie's hips and quickly spins them around and slams her back into the wall. she attacks her lips messily, sliding her tongue into her mouth and taking the control away from valerie. she grips both of valerie's wrists and raised them above her head. she keeps both wrists locked with one hand against the wall while her other hand slides down to her backside and she squeezes and gropes the plump flesh over her jeans. 

cheryl trails her lips down valeries jaw to her neck. she sucks and nips on her warm skin. she bites a little too hard on her pulse point and she thought she lost control a bit when the girl winced but when she bucked her hips forward cheryl smirked and placed a final kiss to her neck before raising up and placing one kiss to her lips before pulling away. cheryl lets go of valerie's arms and the fall around her shoulders as her hand joins her other one on her rear.

"do you wanna come inside?" cheryl asks lowly, so much lust behind her voice.

valerie nods eagerly with a yes, and cheryl quickly unlocks the front door and pulls her inside.

-

the next morning cheryl wakes up looks down at the girl sleeping on her. she sighs as she remembers the events of last night. but this time instead of feeling dread she feels... happy. their legs are tangled together, and a tan arm is thrown lazily over her torso. her head is laying on cheryl's bare chest, and her curly hair tickling her neck.

cheryl delicately pushes her hair back and presses a soft kiss to her hair line. she gently and slowly untangles herself from valerie, as to not wake her. she puts on a tank top and some short pajama shorts and she exits the room, softly closing the door behind her. she makes her way to the kitchen to the smell that originally woke her up.

"morning." cheryl said as she walks behind her, opening a cabinet and taking out a coffee mug. she places it under the keurig, lifts the top and places her choice of dark roast coffee inside and presses the medium size option that lights up.

"someone had a great night last night. so much for  _we're not having sex on the first date."_

"hey i had every intention on not having sex last night. but, ugh, she was just so irresistible."

"i'm just mad i didn't make a bet with you, cause i totally knew you were going to. damn that would've been easy money."

"yeah yeah whatever. the only difference is this time is i'm not gonna ghost her." cheryl picks up her mug when the coffee is finished and takes a sip of the strong black coffee.

after veronica finished breakfast cheryl went to wake valerie up and the three of them ate breakfast. cheryl smiled as valerie and veronica got to know each other. this was a first, and cheryl just absolutely loving it. now she knows how veronica felt when she and josie got to know each other and why veronica just sat there with a gooey smile on her face, much like she is right now.

the rest of the day they just hung out watching old dvds. cheryl and valerie ended up back in cheryl's bedroom for a couple hours before she kissed her goodbye at the front door that evening.

-

on monday morning toni woke up earlier than she usually does. before driving to work she stopped at starbucks for coffee. she entered her office nodding at jessica, who was shocked that toni was here so early.

cheryl was always early so she wanted to make sure she arrived before her. she smiled when she saw that cheryl's desk was empty meaning she hasn't arrived yet. toni didn't even go into her own office like she usually does. she sat down at cheryl's desk and waited for her to arrive.

10 minutes later cheryl walked through the front doors of topaz. toni watched as she waved and said hi to everyone she pasted. she looked happy and had a smile on her face.  _that's a good sign,_ toni thought. when she approached her desk and saw toni, toni felt a twinge in her stomach when her smile slightly faltered. she hasn't talked to or seen her since she basically called her poor on friday after work.

"good morning, toni." cheryl said as toni stood up.

"morning. how was your weekend?" toni asked.

"it was great actually, you?"

"it was good. uh listen- about what i said friday."

"toni it's fine-"

"no it isn't. it was wrong of me to say that. and i promise you i really didn't mean it like that, i was genuinely offering, but it was wrong of me to just assume, and you were right to call me out, i should've thought before i spoke. i really am truly sorry for making you feel like... we aren't equals. i don't just think of you as someone who's beneath me. you're one of the hardest working people in here, and i promise to always treat you as such and- i am just really sorry cheryl."

cheryl stared at her for a second and could tell she was being genuine. the emotion in her voice and in her eyes were serious. to be treated as an equal is all she wanted from everyone, but especially from toni. she could tell toni meant everything she was saying. sure toni said a dumb thing, cheryl has said many dumb things, but at least her dumb thing came from a genuine place. if toni took a chance on her, cheryl was gonna do the same for toni.

"i accept your apology, and i forgive you." cheryl said and toni's lips curled into a smile.

"i uh, i also bought you an apology coffee."

"really?" cheryl said with a raised eyebrow and toni shut her eyes and threw her head back before palming her forehead.

"apologizing for saying you can't afford something by buying you something you can obviously afford, oh my  _God_  i really am an idiot."

"toni, i'm just messing with you. thank you for the coffee, really." cheryl smile as she took the coffee out of toni's hand.

toni chuckled nervously. "you're welcome. so do you maybe wanna grab lunch sometime this week. i promise i won't offer to pay."

"sure."

toni instantly felt better. she thought cheryl was such a good person for how quickly she forgave her. but toni was grateful for it. she felt like she still had a lot to make up for, for her major set back in friendship progress but she was gonna try her hardest to get in good with cheryl. she still had feelings for her and she was gonna do anythingto get this girl to fall for her. she knows she's not cheryl's biggest fan right now but dammit she's not gonna give up. toni topaz always gets what she wants, no matter how long she has to work for it. you think this company was built overnight? hell no.

the week was great. toni talked to cheryl any chance she had free time, even if it were about the things she needed her to do, any words shared with her were good ones. on wednesday toni asked cheryl to lunch and had to hide just how elated she was when cheryl agreed. this was gonna be her chance to get to know cheryl more. but when kevin saw them leaving and asked were they were going cheryl invited him to join them, and it took everything in toni to not scoff or roll her eyes. toni wanted to be mad but she couldn't be mad at cheryl or kevin, neither of them were unaware of her intentions. in fact the only person who knew about her feelings was josie.

it wasn't all bad though. toni still got spend time with and learn more about cheryl, even though half of the questions asked were from kevin. she'll take what she can get.

when friday rolled around toni almost found herself not wanting to leave work. that would mean her time with cheryl would be over and she wouldn't see her again until monday. toni locked her office door and walked up to cheryl's desk as she was logging out of the computer and gathering her stuff. toni noticed a new picture taped to the side of her computer monitor. it was a strip of photo's from one of those photo booths. there were four different pictures of her and valerie, one smiling, two silly ones, and the last one was of them kissing. toni couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy. she knows she has no right to because she and cheryl are just now becoming friends, but she can't help that she does.

"any plans this weekend?" toni asked.

"nope, just working at the bar all weekend. what about you? you headed to your dinner with kevin and josie?"

"no... not this friday. they ditched me. kevin has a date with his boyfriend, marmaduke, and josie is going out with veronica. it'll just be me myself and i this weekend."

"well we have another band coming to the bar today, if you wanna come by. i'll be working but i can keep you company."

"really?"

"totally."

"okay great! i'll see you tonight then." toni said rather excitedly.

toni felt hopeful. finally she'll have some alone time with cheryl. even though it will be in a loud crowded bar, she'll take what she can get. 

-

toni dresses different than her usual get up. she follows fangs advice and loosens up a bit. she wears a pair of skinny jeans and a shirt she owned in college, it's a little small so it rides up her stomach a bit which is exactly what toni was going for. she tops the outfit off with some black heels. she does her make up the same as the first time she went to the bar, and pulls her hair into a perfectly messy high ponytail. she smiles at her look in her full length mirror, grabs her black cross body purse and heads out the door.

she arrives at the club and walks straight to the bar. as she climbs up on a stool she sees cheryl taking someones order at the end of the bar. toni watches as cheryl mixes the drink, once again mesmerized by how natural and in her element she looks. when she gets done with the drink she notices toni and waves at her as she slides the glass in front the customer. cheryl she takes the bill from the woman with a thank you and walks over to where toni is sitting.

"hey you made it!" cheryl shouts over the music playing over the sound system.

"i did."

"you want a drink?"

"sure."

"what can i get for you?"

"i don't know, surprise me."

cheryl smiles and backs away from the counter but continues talking as she mixes the drink.

"so what band is playing tonight?" toni asks pointing to the group of women setting up on the stage.

"some all girl rock band called poison. i heard they're pretty good."

"cool." toni nods.

"you look nice by the way." cheryl says.

"thank you." toni smiles and tries to hide the blush that appears on her cheeks.

"and hear you are." cheryl slid the glass in front of toni and watches as the girl takes a sip through the tiny black straw.

"oh wow, this is really good. what is it?"

"just my own little creation."

"well you are an amazing mixologist. do you like mixing drinks?"

"thank you. and yes i do, i like coming up with my own creations and recipes. sometimes i practice at home and make veronica taste them"

"that's really cool?"

toni tried her hardest to hide her smile, but she was really enjoying her time talking to cheryl. every so often she would leave to take someones order and toni would just watch as she mixed the drinks with a smile on her face. she had such a beautiful smile. toni could look at it all day. she also saw her talking to two other guys, who she assumed were reggie and sweet pea.

every time cheryl came back they fell back into another conversation. toni tried to avoid the topic of work as best she could. she learned that her favorite color is red, her favorite movie mean girls, and her favorite food is pizza. while cheryl learned all the same things about toni.

"so do you have any other hobbies?" toni asked and before cheryl was about to answer she noticed cheryl's eyes were locked on something, and a smile grew on her face.

"hey you." cheryl said and just as toni turned to see who she was talking to valerie walked up to the bar. 

"hey cute thing." valerie leaned over the bar and gave cheryl a greeting kiss, all while toni watched. 

toni couldn't help it but she actually felt angry. she was really enjoying her night. she and cheryl were having a such a good time, listening to the band, talking and getting to know each other even more. and now that was completely ruined. she was jealous. utterly jealous.

"toni? what are you doing here?" valerie asked noticing the woman sitting right next to her

"uh, cheryl invited me actually." toni said as a matter of factly, hoping to get a reaction from her.

"yeah she didn't have any plans so i suggested she come out and watch this new band, they're not as good as yours though."

"aw you're too generous. and thank you that means a lot." valerie smiled and leaned over the counter for another kiss. cheryl giggled into the kiss and toni looked away as she heard four lip smacks. she wishes that was her leaning across the bar to kiss her as she giggled. 

_soon toni. soon._

"oh sorry, babe stop we're being rude."

"sorry, just i've barely seen you all week and i missed you."

"well why don't you come over tonight and we can make up for lost time."

"you know i can't say no to that."

toni rolled her eyes.

_i'm gonna be sick._

_soon toni, soon._

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i know cheryl and valerie are happy together right now but don't worry cheryl toni are getting closer as friends...
> 
> also sorry there was no update for wherever i go this week, i'm slowly losing motivation for that fic but i'm not giving up on it since so many of you enjoy it. so there will be a new chapter for that in a few days.
> 
> until next time :)


	5. she's got it bad

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm back! sorry this took so long :)
> 
> anyways toni's got it bad for cheryl.
> 
> enjoy!

toni was angry.

growing up, toni was never one to get jealous of anybody. she grew up with everything she ever needed and got everything she wanted. she was a spoiled brat, and she owned that. she had the best home. the nicest things. the best clothes. the best car. there was never a reason for her to be jealous of anyone. people were always jealous of her.

so toni was angry. not at cheryl, a little at valerie, but mostly she was angry at herself for feeling this way. one, because toni doesn't  _get_ jealous. and two, because she had no right to be jealous. neither cheryl nor valerie were aware of her feelings so she couldn't be mad at them for being happy. but she was. and she was so mad that she was mad.

so toni found herself lying awake at 3:30 in the morning unable to sleep, and unable to take her mind of cheryl and _fucking valerie,_  and their disgusting happiness. 

"ugh" toni groaned to herself as she rolled over on her back to stare at her ceiling. 

toni was fine. she was just chilling. all her focus was put into her work. has been so comfortable being alone. why did fangs and josie have to tell her to loosen up and get laid. now the one person she has finally caught feelings for since her ex she can't have. and it was driving her crazy because toni topaz always gets what she wants.

"what the  _fuck."_ toni frustratedly flailed her body in her bed for a couple seconds before abruptly sitting up. she walked into her closet, stripped out of her silk pajamas and slid on a pair of blue and pink leggings with a matching sports bra and sneakers. she left her room and walked downstairs to her home gym, hopping straight onto the treadmill. she figured a mile would help tire her out.

7 minutes and one mile later, toni took a quick shower to cleanse herself of the light sheen of sweat, redressed herself in fresh pajamas and crawled back into bed. and finally around 4:15 toni eyelids finally shut, only to be woken up 10 minutes before her 7 am alarm from another dream about cheryl.

yeah, toni's got it bad.

-

toni trudged into the office with the largest coffee in her hand. her employees knew to avoid her when she was in a mood, which she clearly was in now. so after making eye contact with her and seeing the tired annoyed expression on her face, the quickly turned their heads back to what they were doing. 

toni bee lined straight for josie's office. when she walked thorugh the already opened door she found kevin sitting in the chair across from her desk. 

"kev i need to talk to josie alone." toni said, unapologetically interrupting their conversation. kevin was about to rebuttal but when he noticed her demeanor, he dropped it.

"okay, i'll talk to you later josie."

when kevin left toni shut the door behind him and plopped down in the chair that was once occupied by kevin. she took a large sip from her iced coffee.

"you've looked better." 

toni tilted her head and rose her eyebrow, giving josie a  _not today_ look.

"i barely slept last night. maybe got a solid two hours." toni said taking another large gulp of coffe and set the cup on top of josie's desk.

"what's going on with you?"

toni groaned and leaned her head back. she pinched her nose with her thumb and pointer finger before rubbing her temples.

"it's fucking cheryl. i just- fuck i can't get her out of my head, josie. you know how you and kevin ditched me on friday to go on dates?" josie nodded with a somewhat guilty expression. "well cheryl invited me to her bar to hear some band. and we were hanging out having a good time, and guess who shows up?" toni blurts the answer without even giving josie a chance to say anything. "valerie! and they were all lovey dovey and shit and i got... jealous." toni whispered the word jealous as if she was afraid to hear the words herself. "i'm toni topaz i don't get jealous. but dammit josie i was. i  _am._  and i have no right to be but i am. i'm jealous. and of all fucking people, i'm jealous of valerie. i shouldn't be jealous of her but i am. she really got the most beautiful woman on this planet." 

"damn toni. you really got it bad."

"i do. i want her josie. and you know i always get what i want."

"yeah i know you're a spoiled brat, and i can say that cause i'm your best friend. but sometimes you can't always get what you want toni. and cheryl is a person. you can't just call claim on her like she's an object."

"i know that josie, you don't think i know that? but shit i can't help that i want her. i like her josie. i actually like her. she's the first person i've caught feelings for since that gold digging jerk forsythe. and that was  _years_ ago. you and fangs were the ones telling me to losen up and  _go get laid._ and now the one person i want i can't have, and i don't know what to do." toni slumped down in the chair and rested her head on the back of it with a sigh.

"maybe you should tell her how you feel." 

toni eyes snapped up. 

"i can't do that."

"why not?"

"one she's in a relationship. and two she definitely doesn't like me like that. she barely likes me as a friend."

"well you can keep torturing yourself, or you can just woman the fuck up and tell her. and even if she rejects you, at least you'll be able to move on."

"please there is no moving on from cheryl blossom. but... i'll think about it okay?"

josie just nodded in agreement and toni took her half drank coffee and left her office. when she walked towards her own office she noticed cheryl was sitting there. she arrived while toni was in josie's office.

_God, she just looks so beautiful._  

toni noticed she was wearing glasses. she's never seen her in glasses before but she looked so damn cute. toni walked up to her desk with the brightest smile on her face.

"morning cheryl. i didn't know you wear glasses."

"good morning toni. and yes i'm out of contacts and my new prescription wont be in for another week." cheryl looked up from her computer with a smile. "i emailed those layouts to ricky this morning."

toni did not want to talk about work with her, but they were in the office and she was her assistant, so she really had no choice.

"great! i'm going to email you a list in a few minutes, most of your day will consist of calling people for the event on friday."

"alright i'll get started on that right away." 

at this point toni knows she should walk away, go into her office and get started on her work for the day but for some reason she didn't move. 

_maybe you should tell her how you feel._

toni wasn't sure if she should tell cheryl about her feelings yet, and if she did, work was the last place she would want to do that. but josie's words kept echoing in her head.

"is there something else you need?"

"i uh... just wanted to uh... know how you weekend was."

"it was actually pretty good. worked most of the day saturday and had a girls day with veronica on sunday. so it was a great weekend. you?"

"oh mine was, okay. just did a lot of work from home."  _and thought about you all day._

"it's cool that you're so dedicated to your company."

_ugh, everything she says is so perfect._

"yeah i just wish i could get out of the house sometimes."

"i get that. whenever i'm focused on something the day really gets away from em you know?"

"yeah. yeah i do. well, i'll get you that list and let you get to work. you maybe want to grab lunch today?"

"i would but, valerie is taking me out today. thank you for the offer though."

toni just smiled the most fake smile she could possibly form before entering her office. she cursed under her breath at the jealousy that flooded her body. she just wished she didn't feel this way but she can't help it.

toni still kept her door open all day so she could steal occasional glance at cheryl. she was just so effortlessly beautiful. around 1 valerie entered the office and greeted cheryl with a kiss before leading her away. toni almost,  _almost,_ gave cheryl some sort of task that would force her to stay during lunch, but toni just couldn't be selfish like that, especially when it came to cheryl.

the day went by dreadfully slow. all toni wanted to do was talk to cheryl, even if it was just about work but she stayed glued to her seat all day. that evening night was the same as how every night went since friday. her thoughts clouded with cheryl. before bed toni ran another mile to help tire herself out. 

tuesday was just the same. talk to cheryl for a bit in the morning, watch her leave again with valerie for lunch, and think about her that night.

on wednesday toni walked into the office that morning with a purpose. she approached cheryl's desk with a smile.

"good morning toni." cheryl said with a smile as she does everyday.

"morning. if you have any lunch plans today cancel them. i need to have a meeting with you."

"i actually didn't have any plans today but okay." cheryl said slightly nervous and toni could tell she was nervous. she was a little abrupt.

"relax, it's not anything bad. it's about the event on friday." cheryl relaxed and just nodded in response before toni disappeared to her office.

-

"thanks for coming with me today," toni said as the two of them sat down in a booth at a local eatery.

"of course. so? the event on friday?" cheryl asked and toni almost didn't hear what she said as she was so lost in staring at her as she scanned the menu.

"oh right." toni blinked back to reality. "so, i need you to come with me to the event on friday."

cheryl looked up from the menu with an arched eyebrow. "really? usually i just do the prep work and you handle events on your own."

"yeah, well this one is going to be kind of hectic and it would be a lot easier if i had my assistant there in case i need something." toni lied. well, it was half true. it would be easier to have cheryl at this event. it was a much larger event than the other ones toni's magazine has covered since cheryl started working for her.

but, toni had ulterior motives for asking toni to join her at the event. she really just wanted to spend time together. and the event was kinda an all day thing. sure, toni was abusing her power as cheryl's boss a bit but this was all she had. this was the perfect opportunity to hang out with cheryl for a big part of the day.

"plus i think it will be good experience for you, you know to get out of the office and into the field."

"alright. i'll clear my schedule and i'll get one of the guys to cover for me at the bar."

"ugh thank you. you are a life saver." toni reached across the table to place her hand on top of cheryl's and it took everything in her not to shiver at the contact.

damn, she's got it bad.

-

on friday morning toni woke up in the brightest mood. she woke up an hour before her alarm but couldn't go back to sleep. she was wide awake, excited for the day ahead. she dressed a little more casual than usual. opting for pants instead of a skirt and flats instead of heels but still looking extremely professional. she sent a quick text to cheryl saying she could dress casual but to still look decent.

she arrived at the office almost an hour earlier than she usually does, she even beat josie there. she unlocked and entered her office, a large coffee in her hand. she set her purse and coffee down on her desk and went to her floor to ceiling windows and pulled the shades all the way up allowing the sun to flood the room. 

she gazed out at the view of new york, the tall buildings surrounding her. the tiny people walking on the street beneath her. she smiled. she actually feels happy. excited really. and she smiled even more when she realized that it was cheryl that made her feel excited. yeah so what she was taken, toni was about to spend a whole day with cheryl. 

she had a plan. befriend cheryl first, then just wait. wait for valerie to fuck up. toni has heard many stories about valerie from fangs. she was the kind of person who would get bored quickly and move on to the next girl. and when valerie did that to cheryl, toni was gonna be the one to swoop in.

toni was so lost in her thoughts she didn't even notice someone had walked into her office.

"wow you're here early."

toni turned towards the voice and a smile instantly grew on her face.

"good morning to you too, cheryl. just figured i'd get an early start on the day since we're leaving the office early."

"yeah cause looking out the window seems like such hard work."

toni just shook her head and rolled her eyes with a laugh and walked back to her desk to sit down motioning for cheryl to do the same. she was about to ask her how her night was last night but cheryl beat her to the punch.

"so what is our schedule for today?"

normally toni would greatly appreciate an assistant who stays professional and on task. but in this case she just wanted to be able to talk to cheryl about  _anything_ other than work. but toni could stay professional. she had no other choice right now.

"well, i would like for you to call our photographers and reporters just to double check that they know when they're supposed to arrive and what exactly they will be covering. then we'll probably head out around 2:00. i have my interview with the head hancho of the event at 3:15 then we can walk around and interview some of the bystanders, attendees and workers, then we can just enjoy ourselves for a bit to get the real experience."

"alright sounds good. i get started on those calls."

"great." toni said with a smile and her eyes followed cheryl as she walked away. 

-

the morning part of toni's day went by so incredibly slow. she caught herself looking at her clock every five minutes which only seemed to make time go by slower. 

finally when 2:30 hit she basically jumped out of her desk chair grabbed her purse and left her office, locking it behind her.

"you ready?" toni asked a little too excitedly.

_dial it back toni._

"ready indeed." cheryl replied. she stood from her desk and grabbed her things before following toni out of the office. 

toni pressed the down button and the elevator on the far left opened immediately, and the two of them entered. it was quiet for a few seconds before toni spoke up.

"are you excited to be attending your first work event?" toni inwardly cursed herself.

_must you talk about work?_

"i am actually. thank you for asking me to tag along. i've been wanting to witness more of what you do."

"please, i don't do much."

_what is happening to me?_

toni topaz never misses an opportunity to brag about herself, especially when someone else brings up her work. 

_yep, i've got it bad._

the made it to the ground floor and exited the building into the warm new york air, a light crisp of breeze in the air. toni grabbed her keys from daniel the valet guy and walked towards her car that was waiting for her on the street. cheryl hesitated her steps as she approached her car.

"oh, we're taking your car?"

"yes, how else would we get there?"

cheryl looked to the side in the direction of the subway she takes everyday to get to work. its not that she had a problem riding with toni, in her very luxurious car, but toni has rubbed her wealth in her face before. although it may have been unintentional it still didn't make cheryl feel good.

"cheryl? you coming?"

_stop overthinking cheryl. she hasn't said anything like that in weeks._

cheryl smiled and nodded and opened the front door of the passenger seat of toni's black lexus. she settled onto the expensive leather, and took in her surroundings of toni's car. it was very room and somehow looked even bigger on the inside. the interior was black and red and had a touch pad.

"wow"cheryl let slip out. she thought she only said it loud enough for herself to hear that is until toni responded.

"thanks. it was a christmas gift to myself a couple years ago." toni looked over at cheryl who was looking straight forward and simply nodded in response.

_dammit toni. you, could've just stopped at thanks._

toni pushed the car to start and pulled off the curb unto the street. it was quiet for a white. every now and the toni would look over at cheryl trying not to be obvious every time she did. she noticed cheryl's hand resting on her knee and imagine that maybe one day if she's lucky she'll get to reach over the console and grab it in her own. but there was still a certain someone in her way. finally toni broke the silence.

"so you and valerie huh?"

cheryl looked over at her and arched a questioning eyebrow.

"i know her through fangs remember."

"oh right i forget fangs is your brother. but uh... yeah we're still going strong. we haven't labeled anything yet but i really like her which is a first for me."

"oh?"

"yeah i uh... don't have the best history with women."

"why so?"

"sorry, forgive me if this comes off rude but i don't really feel comfortable telling you this. you're my boss."

"if you don't want to share that part of your life i understand but, don't think of me as your boss right now. think of me as a friend."

cheryl looked over at toni again her glanced back at her. she looked genuine and sincere. so, cheryl sighed. if she and toni we're gonna have a good boss employee relationship she had to be able to trust toni, especially since toni trusted her with this job.

"well... i... used to be... the kind of person that would see a pretty face at the bar talk her up, take her home, and leave the next morning without any further contact."

toni tried so hard to keep her face neutral. she couldn't believe what she just heard. she was in no way judging her for that but she was literally just judging valerie for this same exact thing. it made her feel like such a hypocrite.

"i'm not that person anymore though i swear. i wanted more in life, not just career wise but with my personal life as well. i just wanted someone to care about, you know. someone to call mine, and someone to call me theirs." 

toni was silent for a while. she honestly didn't know how to respond. she was never one to be rendered speechless but this girls had forced her to silence 3 times today. 

the longer toni didn't respond the more nervous cheryl got.

"yeah, i probably shouldn't have told you that." cheryl said looking out the window.

toni looked over at the redhead as her eyes stayed locked on the passing new york scenery. she realized her silence probably made cheryl feel like she was judging her. toni looked down at her hand still rested on her knee. she inhaled shakily and took a chance. she reached over the console and grabbed her hand giving her a reassuring squeeze causing the redhead to face her. 

"hey, i'm not judging you. you're allowed to live your life however you want. but the fact that you actually want more for yourself, is pretty damn amazing." 

cheryl let out a small laugh, mostly because it was the first time she's heard toni curse and it sounded kind of weird coming from her mouth. 

"cheryl you are a good person. you deserve happiness." toni said taking her eyes off the road to give her a smile.

"thank you toni." cheryl looked down and realized that toni was still holding her hand. for some reason she didn't want to let go. she didn't know why but it actually felt kinda nice. but then cheryl remembered what started this whole conversation. valerie. she inhaled and slid her hand out of toni's grip. 

toni moved her hand back over to her side of the car. although the moment was short it was still a moment and it took everything in her not to smile. if that wasn't progress toni doesn't know what it was. they were finally on a friend level and toni would take that as a win.

-

the work event was an annual carnival in which all proceeds go to buying school supplies for kids who aren't able to afford them. but it was the first time topaz magazine was covering the event. and cheryl stuck by toni's side the entire time. when they found the woman who organized the event cheryl stood off to the side as toni introduced herself to her. cheryl just stood by as toni interviewed with the surprisingly young woman. 

the interview lasted about 15 minutes and when it was over toni motioned for cheryl to come forward and cheryl did with a confident smile on her face.

"cheryl this is melody valentine, the brilliant woman who puts on this event every year. melody this is my assistant. well, she's more than just my assistant, she's my lifesaver. best assistant i've ever had." toni wasn't just saying that because of her huge high school girl crush on her. cheryl really was the best assistant she's ever had, and she meant that.

"it's a pleasure to meet you cheryl." melody said, extending her right hand for cheryl to shake.

"the pleasures all mine. it's an amazing thing, what you're doing here. this would've help a lot when i was a kid."

"or really?" melody asked her interest peaked.

"yeah, i grew up in a foster home and we really couldn't afford much. but i'm glad that these kids today are getting what they need. it warms my heart that there is someone out there such as yourself looking out for kids like me."

"thank you so much. i try to do everything i can... hey i'm hosting another event in a little over a month. it's a much smaller event. kinda like a backpack rally where we give the school supplies to the kids, how would you like to come and share your story with the kids?"

"oh my God thank you, i would love to, that is if it's okay with my boss?" cheryl said turning her head to face toni who was standing to the side watching the exchange with a smile of her face.

"yes, of course, it's more than okay."

"great. here give me your email address and i'll be in contact with you soon." melody said handing cheryl her phone. she entered the info and handed it back to her.

"alright enjoy the rest of the carnival!" 

the both of them said thank you and melody walked away. cheryl turned to face toni with a shocked expression her mouth hung open. 

"oh my God! did that just happen?" cheryl said half excited half shocked.

"it did! congrats!" toni said and without even thinking she opened her arms. and without even thinking cheryl launched herself into them. the two shared their first hug, rocking side to side, cheryl's arms wrapped around toni's neck and toni's arms wrapped, respectfully, around her middle back.

for toni it felt like this was happening in slow motion and she would do anything to hold on for as long as she can. she slowly breathed in cheryl's scent as to not make it obvious. she smelled amazing, like vanilla and cherries.

for cheryl it felt like the world was speeding up around her. everything happening so fast. toni she woke up as just toni's assistant and now here she was hugging her, celebrating an amazing opportunity that was presented to her.

a few seconds passed by but it felt like an hour for toni and before she knew it she was loosing the warmth of cheryl's body against her. 

"thanks toni."

"for what?"

"if you hadn't asked me to come this wouldn't have happened."

"please cheryl, all i did was get you here, you scored that opportunity on your own, by being your amazing self."

cheryl couldn't help but smile at that and she felt a slight warmth flood her cheeks. 

"so what do you say we interview about 8 more people. 3 parents 3 volunteers and 2 kids. then check in with my other reporters, then just enjoy the carnival?"

"sounds good." cheryl responded and she followed toni around the the carnival.

-

after the work part of the day was over toni and cheryl took advantage of the carnival. they rode some of the rides, including the carousel, the tilt-a-whirl, and the ferris wheel. after a 5 minute debate cheryl talked toni into getting a corndog.

"cheryl no, absolutely not."

"come one it's part of the experience. be a regular person for one day."

toni huffed and snatched the corndog from cheryl's hand. she took a small bite of the deep fried hot dog. she had to admit it wasn't the most horrible thing she's ever eaten.

"well?" cheryl asked in anticipation.

"okay its not the worst thing i've eaten, but if you tell anyone at the office i ate fair food i'll just deny it.

for the rest of their afternoon into evening, they spent playing the many carnival games. spending an extra amount of time at the ring toss. 

toni told cheryl that all the money she was spending on the game was for the kids, which was true, but mostly because she was competitive and hated to lose and had to win at least once to make herself feel better.

finally after the 8th game toni landed all three rings on top of the empty glass bottles and was awarded a small stuffed panda bear, which she accepted victoriously.

as they walked away from the game toni extended the panda bear to cheryl.

"here. you take it."

"toni i can't you worked so hard to get that."

"i insist. just a thank you for your help today." which again was half true, but toni also had ulterior motives.

"thank you." cheryl said with a soft smile as she took the bear. 

-

around 9'oclock the two started walking towards toni's car.

"today was actually kind of fun." cheryl said.

"surprisingly it was. i'm not really one to do this kind of stuff."

"don't tell me that was your first carnival." cheryl said with a raised eyebrow.

"no of course not. it's just not my typical night of fun."

"and what is your typical night of fun."

"a nice dinner, some wine, a hot bubblebath, and cheesy reality tv before bed."

cheryl gave toni this boring look to which toni shrugged her shoulders.

"what?" toni asked through a laugh.

"that is not fun."

"well, what is your kind of fun?"

"hmm maybe one day you'll see."

toni looked down at her feet as the walked and subtly dug her teeth into her bottom lip.

_maybe one day you'll see._

the two finished the strut to toni's car parked on the street a block away from the event. they basically fell into their respective seats with a huff. they didn't realize how tired they were until they finally sat down.

"so where am i taking you?" toni asked as she pushed the car to start.

"you can just drop me off at the subway."

"cheryl it's getting dark out i'm not gonna let you take the subway by yourself."

"you know i'm an adult right."

"it's still new york. cheryl, i can take you home."

"it's fine. i've taken the subway plenty of times at night."

"i really don't mind."

"toni it's fine."

"why are you so adamant about me taking you home."

"i don't need another reason for you to look down on me." cheryl blurted out at a louder volume than she expected.

toni almost flinched at cheryl's outburst but she completely understood. 

"i live in a tiny two bedroom apartment with veronica. it's not fancy at all. and i'm sure our entire apartment could probably fit in your bedroom. i just don't want you to drive there and be reminded that we're not of equal status okay." 

of course cheryl would feel that way especially about toni, and especially while sitting in her $100,000 car. after making so much progress with cheryl today toni did not want her to continue to feel this way about her. 

"cheryl, i know i've said some really fucked up and insensitive things but i am  _so_  sorry. i meant what i said when i said you are the best assistant i've ever had. you are the hardest working person in that whole damn office. and i know you basically run the bar you work at. cheryl, we  _are_ equals. money doesn't have shit to do with it. yes i know i may unintentionally flaunt all my expensive stuff but  _believe me_  when i tell you i don't care where you live.  _stuff_  doesn't make you the person you are.  _you do_. now will you please let me take you home." 

cheryl looked toni in the eyes. 

sincere. 

she nodded.

"alright just type your address in."

-

toni pulled into a parking space outside of cheryl's apartment building.

"thank you so much for the ride."

"it's no problem at all."

"i had a great day."

"i did too."

cheryl hopped out of the car and turned back to look at toni.

"see you on monday. oh and thanks for the bear."

"you're very welcome. see you on monday."

cheryl closed the door and walked to the front door of her building, waving as toni drove off. she smiled to herself as she climbed the stairs, reminiscing on her day spent with toni. the woman she once thought was so stuck up and bitchy was actually a nice and genuine person that cheryl actually had a great time with.

she jumped when she heard her phone start to ring and vibrate in her back pocket. she pulled it out and saw a picture of valerie on her lock screen. she swiped to answer the call and brought the phone to her ear.

"hey babe... no i just got home... i miss you too... actually i'm pretty beat tonight but i'll make it up to you, breakfast tomorrow?... okay see you tomorrow... bye."

cheryl entered her empty apartment, having received a text from veronica earlier in the day saying she was spending the night at josie's. she walked into her room and quickly stripped her clothes. after a shower she dressed herself in a big t-shirt and climbed into bed. she slammed her head onto the pillow and just smiled. 

-

_cheryl arched her back in the air with a moan. she gripped and pulled at her bedsheets as she squeezed her legs around the head between them. she bucked her hips up in rhythm with the tongue lashing at her center._

_her hips stuttered and she started panting as the coil in her stomach got tighter and tighter. she wove her fingers through that soft hair and tugged at her roots. she pushed her head further into her as her hips sped up, controlling everything._

_she felt fingers gripping her hips and she climbed higher and higher to her release. her hips lost their rhythm and she opened her mouth as she came but no sound came out._

_she slammed her back onto the mattress and felt pillowy lips trailing up her stomach before feeling them against her own. she opened her eyes to look up right into the eyes of-_

_"toni?"_

cheryl shot up to a sitting position, her chest rising and falling rapidly. she wiped her forehead which had a thin layer of sweat there.

"what the fuck?"

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oooooh progress :)
> 
> see you hopefully real soon with another update. i'll try to get one out within the week.
> 
> catch me on twitter @cheryltoepaz


	6. well, fuck

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yo, this is turning out to be my favorite fic of mine. i'm so in love with this story. 
> 
> anyways... here's the aftermath of cheryl's dream about toni. our girl is overthinking like crazy.
> 
> enjoy! and catch me on twitter @cheryltoepaz

"what the fuck."

needless to say cheryl didn't go back to sleep that night. she had been laying awake since 6 in the morning, watching the morning sunlight slowly seep into her room. she was scared to go back to sleep in fear of having another dream about toni, which is ironic because she couldn't stop thinking about that dream about toni.

_where the fuck did that come from?_

she honestly has no idea where the dream came from and why she was even dreaming about toni in the first place. she shouldn't be dreaming about her for many reasons. one, she's dating someone. two, toni is her boss. three, she's never thought about toni that way before.  _ugh_ , she has one good day with toni and suddenly she's having sexy dreams about her. 

cheryl thinks back to her day with toni yesterday, and tries to find the root of why she is suddenly subconsciously thinking about her boss in such a way.

it started in the car on the way to the event. she opened up to toni and toni was so understanding and super nonjudgemental. she grabbed and held her hand and for some reason cheryl didn't want to let go. then she got that opportunity from melody and they shared a hug. then she followed toni around as she held interviews. cheryl caught herself staring at toni many times. but she honestly didn't think anything of it. she was admiring someone passionate about their work. she was learning. then toni gave her that stuffed panda bear. the one that was currently laying right next to her on the bed.

cheryl reached over and held the panda bear in the air. she huffed and slammed it back down on the bed. she was overthinking. normally a sex dream about one of cheryl past sexcapades wouldn't even bother her at all. she wouldn't think twice about it. but this time was  _so much different._ this was someone she's never had sex with. never even thought about having sex with. well... there was that small period of time when cheryl spilled her coffee on her and she admired her beauty and she could definitely see herself pinning toni to a wall, but then toni went off on her and refused to give her a job so that thought instantly left her head. then she started dating someone. someone she actually likes. she doesn't want to be thinking about another woman when she already has one. she's not that person anymore. at least she doesn't want to be.

around 9am she heard the front door of her apartment open and she immediately shot out of bed, threw on some shorts and walked out before veronica could slip inside her room.

"hey didn't expect you to be home so early." cheryl said as veronica was placing a to go box, assuming from whatever restaurant she and josie dined at last night, in the fridge. veronica poked her head out from the fridge and smiled at her roommate as she shut the door.

"yeah, josie has an interview today for an article she's writing."

"oh..." cheryl just nodded. she wanted to talk about her dream but she honestly didn't even know how to start that conversation.

"i didn't expect you to be up so early. you had the apartment to yourself last night i thought you'd have a late night with valerie. is she in there?" veronica finished, pointing towards cheryl's bedroom.

"uh no, i was pretty beat last night and just went straight to sleep. we're gonna meet for breakfast in a couple hours."

"oh okay."

"but uh... speaking of valerie, i need to talk to you about something." cheryl said in a serious tone and veronica nodded her head and followed cheryl to the couch.

"what's up?" veronica asked as they got settled on their couch facing each other.

"so um.. last night i um... i had a... dream... about... toni." veronica just rose her eyebrows and leaned in for cheryl to continue. "a... sexy dream."

"holy shit." veronica breathed out somewhat wide eyed.

"so what does that mean?" cheryl asked.

"well, do you like her?"

"no, at least not in that way i don't think."

"you don't think?"

"well-"

"oh my God  _well what?"_ veronica said perking up and scooting even closer as if people could here then talking.

"she's just- she's not as snobby as i thought she was. she's actually nice. i opened up to her about my past with women, and she didn't judge at all. she held my hand and gave me encouragement-"

"wait? she held your hand?"

"yeah and for some reason i didn't want to let go. but then i started thinking about valerie and pulled away.  _oh God,_  valerie. should i tell her?"

"i don't think you should. at least not yet. it was just one dream and it's not like you like toni right?"

cheryl hesitated for a second before shaking her head. veronica noticed but didn't say anything.

"well then, just go out and spend the day with your girl. and if you keep having the dreams or figure out why you're having the dreams then that's a conversation to have. but until then don't over think it. for now just think of it as a silly meaningless dream."

cheryl just nodded in response. it sounded easy but easier said that done. because, cheryl didn't think it was a meaningless dream and that's what scared her the most.

-

cheryl stared down her at her plate as she mindlessly moved the last of her scrambled eggs around the plate with her fork. valerie has been telling her about something that happened at their rehearsal yesterday but if cheryl was being honest she's barely heard a word she's said. veronica told her not to overthink it but that's exactly what she was currently doing. cheryl felt so bad because she was thinking about another woman while on a date. but she just couldn't get toni off her mind.

"cher?"

the sound of her name is what snapped her back to reality. she blinked and snapped her head up with a hum.

"are you listening to me?"

"yeah yeah." 

"okay then what did i just say?"

"um... something about the band or something?" cheryl shrugged with a sweet smile but valerie tilted her head with an arched eyebrow. "okay sorry, i completely zoned out."

"what's going on with you? you've been kind of out of it all morning."

cheryl wanted to tell her. God, the words were on the tip of her tongue. but she held them back. maybe veronica was right. it was just one dream. and cheryl was happy with valerie. they were good. she wasn't going to ruin that by telling her now. if it continues sure. but for now she's just gonna keep it to herself, and force herself to listen.

"nothing, i just had a long day yesterday and didn't sleep well last night. but please, tell me the story again i promise i'm all ears." valerie nodded with a smile and started her story over from the beginning.

_okay, focus cheryl. your girl is telling a story and you promised to listen so focus. don't think about toni. don't think about toni. don't think about toni and her soft hands, and her warm hug, and her- FUCK._

cheryl tried  _so_ hard to focus, she really did. but a minute into valerie's story and her mind already wandered back to toni. she knew exactly how she could get her mind off toni.

when valerie finished her story with a laugh cheryl joined in with a small chuckle. she reached across the table and rubbed slow circles over valerie's wrist. she lowered her eyes to valerie's lips for a moment before looking back into hers with so much lust behind them.

"babe, stop looking at me like that."

"like what?" cheryl said smoothly.

"you know like what."

"well i can't help it. you look so fine right now." cheryl said, her voice low and sultry. "and i missed you so much last night, having your body next to mine could've helped me sleep better."

"i offered to come over and you said you were tired."

"i know. how stupid of me." cheryl raised valerie's hand in the air and brought it across the table and pressed her lips to the back of her hand and let them linger there for a couple seconds, her eyes never leaving hers. 

"why don't you come over and uh... let me make it up to you." cheryl's voice was seductive, and she was looking at valerie with so much lust, valerie's bright green eyes getting darker as cheryl spoke.

cheryl was a sweet talker. it was one of the qualities that had women falling to their knees for her, sometimes literally. it was also the way she looked at them. cheryl watched as valerie's eyes drop to her lips. so, cheryl purposely snuck her tongue out to wet her lips and dug her teeth into the corner of bottom lip. when she saw valerie shiver she knew she had her.

"why don't i take care of this check and then we can get out of here." cheryl said sweetly as she let go of valerie's hand to grab the black book that was resting on end of their table. she got up from their booth and walked over to the cash register. knowing valerie's eyes were following her she made sure to sway her hips a little extra. 

after paying, as she walked back to their table she shot valerie a wink. she extended her hand and helped her up. as soon as she was on her feet cheryl placed her hands on valerie's waist and slid the around to her lower back and pulled her forward until their was no room left.

"cheryl, we're in public." valerie said in a whisper.

"so." cheryl replied as she tilted her head. she leaned forward a placed a chaste kiss to valerie's lips. "you ready?"

valerie nodded eagerly and cheryl grabbed her hand and led them out of the restaurant.

-

" _fuck!"_ valerie slammed her head back against the pillows and cheryl crawled up her body and hovered over her.

"i know right." she said cockily. she leaned down and dropped her lips to valerie's in a sloppy, tongue filled kissed that had the girl beneath her whimpering as she tried to keep up. she felt valerie tap her thigh as if she was tapping out and cheryl pulled away.

"cher wait, i need to recover." valerie said breathily.

cheryl nodded and dropped her lips to her neck, pecking slow kisses up and down the column of her neck and gently sucked on her pulse point.

cheryl didn't want to stop. of course if valerie asked her to stop she would, but she hasn't thought about toni once in past hour and a half. she was afraid that if she stopped those thoughts would come flooding back. 

"you got one more for me baby?" cheryl cooed in her ear. valerie nodded against the side of her head and cheryl smirked before biting down on the shell of her ear.

-

cheryl doesn't even remember falling asleep. after fucking valerie senseless she sat on valerie's face and rode her, bringing herself to three releases in row before collapsing on her back. she remembers turning on her side and pulling valerie's back against her chest and she guesses she fell asleep sometime after that.

her eyes open to the feeling of lips pressed against hers. her eyes flutter open and it took a few seconds for her vision to clear. she smiles as she looks up at valerie but her smile falters a bit when she noticed she's fully dressed.

"hey, how long was i asleep?" cheryl croaked out.

"only like an hour."

"are you leaving?" cheryl asks, reaching her arm out to rest her hand on valerie's thigh, who was sitting on the edge of the bed.

"yeah i have a few errands i have to run before i meet up with the band."

cheryl poked her lip out but nodded. "well, are you coming to the bar tonight?"

"we have a gig tonight remember?"

"oh right." 

"but i have a free day tomorrow so i'm all yours okay?"

again cheryl just nodded with a smile.

"give me a kiss." cheryl said sitting up and puckering her lips.

valerie shakes her head with a playful roll of her eyes and a chuckle before she leans forward and captures cheryl's lips in her own. cheryl cups the back of valerie's neck and deepens the kiss, sliding her tongue past her lips and takes full control of the kiss. she digs her teeth into valerie's bottom lips and tugs it back before releasing it.

"have a great gig." cheryl says placing one more peck to her lips.

"i will. you have fun at work."

"yeah i'll try."

valerie lets out a laugh and stands from the bed. cheryl falls back onto the pillow and watches her leave the room, blowing one last air kiss before she closes her door.

-

cheryl walks up to the backdoor of the bar. she flicks her finished cigarette on the ground and squishes it with the toe of her black vans. she opens the door and enters the already loud bar, some song by the migos playing over the sound system. 

as routine she walks through the somewhat empty bar. it was only 9 o'clock and crowd didn't start growing until around 10. she walked around behind the bar and put her bag under the counter as she greeted sweet pea and reggie. she tied an apron around her waist as her roommate walked up to her.

"hey where'd you go today? i was gonna see if you wanted to get some food before work." cheryl asked veronica.

"well i figured you and valerie would want some privacy. i take it that you haven't thought about you know who today?"

"ugh ronnie i did a fucked up thing today." cheryl said as she slammed her body against the counter behind her.

"oh no what did you do?"

"val and i were at breakfast and  _ugh_ i just couldn't stop thinking about toni. she was telling me a story and i completely zoned out so i uh..."

"you what?"

"i used sex as a distraction. sex with val is always great. but this time i used her to get my mind off toni and i feel horrible."

"well... did it work?"

"i mean yeah. i wasn't thinking of toni while we were fucking so that makes me feel a little better. but still. i wasn't having sex with my girl just because. i was having sex with her to get my mind off another woman. i mean sure it worked but is that not fucked up of me."

"look josie is my first girlfriend too, so i'm the last person to give you relationship advice-"

"thanks." cheryl interrupted with pure sarcasm.

" _but,_ you shouldn't freak out. okay yes you had ulterior motives going into your bedroom with val. but look at the bright side. you didn't think about toni while you were having sex so thats a good thing. and you haven't thought about her much the rest of the day right?"

cheryl nodded even though itv was lie. when valerie left her mind was clear of toni for all of two hours. but as she was tidying up her room she saw that panda bear that was thrown off the bed and her mind went straight back to toni.

"well then just chill. wait it out. like i said if you still can't get your mind off toni in like a week then you should probably talk to valerie about it, but until then, just relax."

veronica was right. technically she wasn't cheating because they weren't even official girlfriends yet. but that's where she hoped they were headed so if her thoughts about toni continued then she would talk to valerie. 

cheryl doesn't even know why these thoughts started in the first place. she flirted with so many women before and never had dreams about them. so why toni? it's not like she had a crush on her or anything. or did she? up until recently she and toni were barely friends. they had a strict boss/employee relationship. so the one day she and toni enter a friendship level her subconscious has to go and fuck with her like that.

she hugged josie tons of times and never had a dream about her. so why toni? maybe it was because her brain knew that josie was taken, and by her best friend. but cheryl was taken too, technically, so why? 

_you're supposed to_ _not_ _be thinking about toni remember?_

cheryl shook her head to get rid of her thoughts and got to work. 

-

finally cheryl started to relax and stop overthinking everything. she, veronica, reggie and sweet pea all took three rounds of shots and that helped her loosen up a lot it wasn't enough alcohol to even make her feel tipsy but enough to give her a little buzz and feel more relaxed. she and veronica danced with each other. she laughed as she spun veronica around. she talked to a lot of the customers and made a lot of tips already and it was only 10:30. 

suddenly cheryl and veronica's favorite song came over the sound system. it was an oldie but still a goodie.

"oh shit this is  _our song!"_ veronica shouted, grabbing cheryl's by her arm and shaking her.

"hey you remember the choreography?" cheryl asked.

"hell yeah. lets do it!"

as the verse started playing cheryl and veronica started dancing, moving their arms in sync and spinning and dropping as they laughed hard. sweet pea and reggie were the biggest hype men and they ended up drawing a crowd by the bar.

when the song was over they laughed loudly and hugged each other rocking side to side. the pulled away and cheryl caught the rag that sweet pea threw at her and dabbed the sweat off her forehead. veronica doing the same with her own towel that was stuffed in her back pocket.

"that was lit as fuck" reggie said patting their backs as he walked past them to take someones order.

"it was indeed." veronica said somewhat out of breath and cheryl nodded with a laugh. cheryl glanced over at their crowd and did a double take.

"oh shit ronnie." cheryl breathed out somewhat panically, stepping closer to her. 

"what?" veronica asked, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"toni is here." she rushed out.

"what?"

"toni is the fuck here." 

veronica, as subtly as possible scanned the crowd and she spotted toni making her way through the people towards the bar.

"okay don't panic but she's coming over her."

"oh shit. what do i say?"

"start with hello and go from there." veronica spun cheryl by her shoulders to face the bar and pushed her forward as toni approached the counter.

"hey!" cheryl said cheerily. almost too cheerily.

"hey. that was a great dance." toni said as she sat up on the barstool.

"uh thanks. it's our favorite song."

"yeah i could tell." 

cheryl felt a twinge of nervousness in her stomach. which is totally bizarre because cheryl never gets nervous when talking to women. she wasn't even nervous at all the first time she talked to valerie.

_oh fuck, what's happening?_

"not to be rude but what are you doing here? i didn't think this was your kind of fun." cheryl said, remember the conversation they had yesterday.

"what can i say, i guess this bar has grown on me. plus i missed-" toni stopped herself. she almost said 'i missed you'.

"i missed your delicious drinks. you're honestly the best mixologist i have ever encountered."

"oh well, let me hook you up with my specialty." cheryl said with a smirk. before backing away from the bar top.

cheryl didn't have to but she walked over to the complete opposite side of the bar to mix toni's drink, so she could talk to veronica.

"dude what the hell?" cheryl said.

"what?" veronica asked with a laugh as she mixes her own drink.

"why would she come here? like out of nowhere?"

"i don't know, maybe she came to see you."

"what?"

"maybe she likes you." veronica shrugged nonchalantly.

"veronica what the hell are you talking about?" veronica paused her drink mixing and raises her head up to face cheryl.

"don't look but she's staring at you."

"stop joking."

"i'm dead serious. we just made eye contact and she looked away so fast."

cheryl's eyes went wide. "veronica, please  _i know_ women and she does not like me."

"cheryl you may have been the biggest player but you really are dumb when it comes to actual  feelings."

it's true. cheryl was never one to catch feelings. valerie was the first woman she's really caught feelings for. and now maybe toni, she's still not quite sure.

"dude. look. you've clearly been having issues with your feelings about toni-"

"it's been a day."

"so the fuck what? go over there, give her your cheryl charm and if she flirts with you then you have your answer."

"and if she doesn't?"

"then you move the fuck on, and keep the good thing you have with valerie."

cheryl ponders it for a second before she nods.

"tequila."

veronica rolls her eyes and grabs a shot glass from the shelf under bar. she pours her a shot and cheryl tosses it back. 

"alright fuck it."

cheryl walked back over to toni with her finished drink in her hand. she decided to give the cheryl charm a try but she wasn't going to over do it. she had a plan to keep it subtle at first just to watch toni's reaction. and if she saw nothing then she would dial it back to nothing.

usually cheryl had a four step plan when it came to picking up girls from the bar. 

1\. make them a drink.  
2\. talk them up.  
3\. eye contact.  
4\. an excuse to touch them.

seems simple but its the way cheryl does it that has women at her beck and call. sometimes there's a fifth step of make out with them in the bathroom. but she had absolutely no intentions on reaching that step.

"sorry it took so long. veronica is a blabber mouth." cheryl said setting the cup down and sliding it forward. toni reached for the glass while cheryl's hand was still on it and their fingers brushed for a second. cheryl definitely didn't miss the way toni's breath hitched.

_step four already. shit._

cheryl watched her as toni took a sip of the drink, humming in appreciation as she took another sip. cheryl forgot how beautiful toni was. she had beautiful smooth caramel skin. beautiful eyes. long gorgeous light brown hair with blonde highlights. her hair looked so healthy and soft. she had nice full lips, one of cheryl's weaknesses. she had a slight dip in her upper lip that cheryl thought was so cute and small beauty mark above her lip that cheryl also thought was cute and also couldn't stop staring at. 

"good?" cheryl asked.

"mmm really good."

_holy shit, has her voice always been that raspy?_

of course cheryl never noticed these things before like her adorable beauty mark and her raspy voice, which was cheryl's ultimate weakness, but that's because she was never really paying attention. but now that she was,  _damn_  she thought toni was gorgeous.

"so... tell me." cheryl started. she laid her hands on the bar and leaned forward a bit to get somewhat closer to her. time for step two and three.

"did you really come here just for my amazing drinks or was there another reason?" cheryl said sweetly, tilting her head and looking at her with  _this_ look. eyes soft, softer than she's ever looked at toni before, mixed with curiosity.

"well, if i'm being honest, i also came to see you. we just had such a good time yesterday and i knew you were working so i said why not?"

"aw you came all the way out here just to see me? i should count myself lucky." cheryl snuck her tongue out so wet her lips but not in a seductive way. toni laughed nervously and looked down at her drink.

"you look great by the way."

toni looked up from her drink back at cheryl.

_eye contact._

"i like seeing you like this." cheryl said as she quickly scanned toni's outfit.

"what? not bougie and stuck up."

"hey you said it not me." cheryl said and she let out a laugh when toni's jaw dropped. she leaned forward and reached over the counter to placed her hand on toni's forearm. 

_step four again, fuck it._

"i'm kidding. but  _i meant_  i like seeing you look out of your element, yet, comfortable. relaxed. not so focused on work. shall i say...  _free."_

cheryl studied toni's face as her hand stayed rested on her arm. toni looked a little nervous. she looked like she was itching to look down at cheryl's hand yet not wanting to stray away from her eyes. cheryl saw it then. the way toni was looking at her. it was like a complete 180 from the way she looked at her the first day they met. it was like she went from hate or disgust to pure adoration. cheryl's only seen that look from two people. veronica, in a ' _your my best friend and i love you'_  kind of way. and valerie, in the same context that seems to be how toni is feeling right now.

"well thank you. i do feel relaxed, and not just because of the alcohol." toni said causing the both of them to chuckle. cheryl decided to remove her hand from toni's arm, making sure not to over do it. 

toni hated the loss the contact.

"so uh, how was your day today?"

cheryl thought about what she should say. she was supposed to be trying to figure out if toni likes her, even though she seems to have already gotten her answer. bringing up the girl she's dating would probably ruin that.

_wait._

suddenly a lightbulb went off in her head. she had an idea. it was risky but, hey, she was on a fuck it mentality.

"it was pretty chill. i spent the early part of the day with valerie."

"oh."

and there it was. the jealousy. it was written all over her face. cheryl could tell she tried not to be obvious about it but she was paying close attention. she saw it. the way toni's face slightly hardened, and her eyebrow twitched and her lips press into a straight light. that was the final confirmation cheryl needed. toni liked her.

"yeah but she ran off. always with your brothers band. but uh..." cheryl leaned forward again and softened her eyes, "i'm glad you're here to keep me company." cheryl said as sincere as she could and toni lips curled into a smile.

"i'm glad i'm here too."

for the next couple hours cheryl and toni talked, more than just talked they flirted, and they had fun.  _toni_ had fun. cheryl wasn't lying when she said she liked seeing her like this. after she finished her first drink cheryl talked toni into taking a shot with her.

"no, cheryl, i'm driving."

"come on. one shot. stay a couple hours and you'll be sober and able to drive home."

toni looked at cheryl as she blinked her eyelids. "alright one shot. but you better not tell anyone at the office i'm doing this."

"you're secret's safe with me." cheryl smirked with a wink causing blush to rise on toni's cheeks. she poured tequila into two shot glasses and slid one in front of toni.

"and what are toasting to?" cheryl asked as she lifted her glass in the air. toni raised hers up and studied the clear liquid inside the tiny glass.

"to... a great night."

cheryl's lips curled up into a soft smirk. "to a great night." they clinked their glasses together a tossed the shot back.

30 minutes after that cheryl dragged toni to to the dance floor. when a certain song came on over the sound system cheryl told reggie to cover for her and she rounded the bar and tried to drag toni out of her seat. after protesting for damn near half the song, cheryl grabbed onto her hand and toni just couldn't say no and let cheryl drag her out onto the dance floor. they kept the dancing pg, and they both resisted the urge to grab each other. but it was still fun and toni smiled brighter than cheryl has ever seen her smile. cheryl thought she had a beautiful smile.

around 1 am, an hour from closing time, as the bar was starting fizzle out, toni decided to call it a night.

"you're good to drive?"

"yeah i'm good. thanks. i'll see you on monday?"

"bright and early." cheryl said with a smile and waved as toni left the bar. toni took one last look at cheryl and shoot her a smile before walking out the door. cheryl sighed and started wiping the counter down. 

she started to think. veronica was right. toni likes her. she thinks about the day they spent together yesterday. toni said she needed cheryl to be at the event yesterday because it was going to be a hectic day. but now that she thinks about it, cheryl really didn't do much. all she did was follow toni around and hold her recorder for her, which toni could've easily done on her own. it was then cheryl realized toni just wanted her there to spend time with her. of course. how could cheryl not see it.

_because you weren't trying to see it._

that day was weird. cheryl opened up to her about her past. the only people she's opened up to like that are veronica and valerie. cheryl didn't have to tell her that. toni even gave her out, but she trusted her enough to tell her. and toni held her hand. and cheryl liked it. and she didn't want to let go. then they shared a hug. she liked that too. 

and toni gave her that stuffed panda bear. had played one game 8 times just to win it. cheryl just though she was just a competitive person. but now she wonders if toni wanted to win that bear specifically for cheryl. when she gave it to her she said it was a thank you for all her help, but again, cheryl didn't do much. then toni begged to take her home. toni could've easily just dropped her off at the subway like she asked, but she insisted on taking her home. and that was really sweet of her.

toni liked her. and cheryl liked that toni liked her. and cheryl thinks she may like toni too. 

_see you monday._

but, shit, toni is her boss. if they ever did get together that would be super complicated. and how would people in the office look at her if they found out she liked the ceo of the company. cheryl has one of the lowest jobs. what if they saw her as a gold digger. 

_but,_ _toni_ _likes_ _you,_ _idiot._

cheryl was taken out of her thoughts by veronica's voice as she walked up to her.

"it looks like you too had a great night. so, i'm guessing you got your answer?"

"yeah. she definitely likes me."

"so what now? do you like her too? you gonna talk to valerie? you gonna try and get with toni?"

"no."

" _no?"_

"ronnie, she's my boss."

"so?"

"so... how would that make me look. she's the fucking ceo. i'm an assistant. i'm  _her_  assistant."

"and? you don't think she know's that?"

"it would just be too complicated. what i have with val is good. we're happy-"

"and yet you couldn't take your mind off toni all day."

cheryl opened her mouth only to shut it right back. she didn't know what to say. it was true. she had been thinking about toni all day, even when she was with valerie, you know, besides when they were having sex. 

"i just- ugh i don't know veronica. i don't know. val and i have been dating for weeks. i just realized i may like toni  _today."_

"okay, and?"

cheryl took a deep breath and released a long sigh. "i just don't know ronnie."

-

as cheryl and veronica walked through the front door of their apartment cheryl felt her phone vibrate in her back pocket. she reached around it, assuming it was a goodnight text from valerie. she pulled the phone out of her back pocket and couldn't help but smile at the message on her lock her screen.

**toni topaz**  
_hey! i made it home. i had a great night. see you at work on monday. goodnight cheryl._

cheryl just stood in the middle of their dark apartment and smiled at her bright screen as she typed her reply.

**cheryl**  
_glad you made it safe. i had a great night too. goodnight toni, see you monday morning._

cheryl walked into her room and turned on the overhead light and she sat down on the edge of her bed, her phone still in her hand. it was the first time toni has ever texted cheryl for anything that wasn't work related. and cheryl felt her heart flutter as she re-read toni's message. 

as she was re-reading the message another text came in, this time from valerie. cheryl's smile falters only a little bit as she clicked on the notification to opens valerie's message.

**val <3**  
_missed you tonight. gig went great. i'm about to crash but not without saying goodnight. night babe, see you tomorrow hopefully :)_

cheryl's thumbs hovered over her keyboard for a few seconds not quite knowing how to respond.

**cher <3**  
_glad it went well. i'm about to crash too. goodnight, see you tomorrow :)_

cheryl set her phone down on her bed. she took her hair out of the bun it was in and ran her fingers though it as she let out a long sigh. she went into her bathroom and took a quick a shower and hopped straight into bed.

-

_cheryl  was in the middle of the bar, but it was completely empty. she had her arms wrapped around a small waist and her cheek pressed against another cheek. they swayed side to side to slow music. she fanned her fingers out and pulled the body closer to hers. she placed a kiss to a warm shoulder and rose her head up and connected her forehead with her dancing partner._

_her eyes were closed and she couldn't see who she was dancing with. it's as if her subconscious was afraid to figure out who it was. so she just kept dancing and kept that body close to her._

_suddenly all the lights in the club went out and there was a single spotlight shining down on them. she felt fingers brushing up and down her neck and it sent shivers down her spine._

_this was so soft._

_finally she heard a voice that wasn't hers._

_"i'm glad we gave us a try."_

_deep._

_raspy._

_smooth._

_toni._

_finally cheryl opened her eyes and stared down into toni's beautiful chocolate brown ones._

_"me too"_

_cheryl's eyes flickered down to toni's lips and the two started to lean in. the lean in was so fucking slow, almost tortuously slow, taking for-fucking-ever to get to toni's lips. finally she felt their noses brush against each others. cheryl parted her lips and just as she was about to kiss toni-_

her eyes opened and she was staring up at her bedroom ceiling. 

"well, fuck."

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> until next time, which will be very soon :)


	7. here goes nothing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is my favorite chapter so far. this one's a bit longer than the other chapters, only like 7.8k words though. but toni and cheryl have some very important conversations.

toni's body started to wake up. she rolled over on her back as her eyes fluttered open. she sat up and stretched her arms up with a groan. she dropped them into her lap and ran her fingers through her hair with a smile remembering her day yesterday. she stood from the bed and walked over to windows and pulled back the curtains to let light into the room. she smiled as she looked out into her backyard, her lawn service was there planting new flowers in her garden for the summer. 

toni woke up in the best mood. she thought about the day she spent yesterday with cheryl and it honestly felt like a dream. if she didn't know any better she would've thought for sure that cheryl was flirting with her last night, but she was probably like that with all the costumers to get tips. but then again, cheryl spent majority of the night with toni, only leaving her about 4 times to make someone's drink when they asked for the 'cheryl specialty', other than that, when someone ordered she asked veronica and the other two guys, she can't remember their names, to make the drinks. 

plus she gave her a compliment, and touched her arm, and asked her dance. toni's heart rate sped up at the thought of it. when cheryl touched her it felt like electricity. 

she was taken out of her thoughts when she heard a knock on her bedroom door. she turned around as the head of her staff entered her room.

"good morning toni. i have breakfast ready for you downstairs."

"thank you martin." toni said with a smile. martin was like a second father to toni, although her father was still very much in her life, she thought of martin as such. he has worked for her family since she was a child, and when she started her company and bought her new home she stole him from her parents.

"you should also know your brother is here, and has already helped himself to your food."

"thank you for the heads up." toni sighed and martin nodded before leaving her room, and shut the door behind him.

toni tied her silk robe around her body and exited her room, heading down the stairs to her dining room. she was met with a messy haired fangs as she sat in the chair next hers at the head of the table slurping a spoonful of froot loops in his mouth.

"morning." he said with a cheerful smile looking up from his bowl.

"hmm morning." toni sighed contently with a greeting smile as she sat down in front of her breakfast.

"okay... what's up with you?"

"what do you mean?" toni shrugged.

"you're not yelling at me for eating your food."

"i'm just in a really good mood today."

"and what's got you so happy?"

toni sighs, thinking about if she should tell fangs for or not. on one hand she really wants to brag about how amazing cheryl is to her brother. but on the other hand cheryl isn't even hers,  _plus_ she's dating his keyboardist. but then again fangs is her brother and best friend, she can tell him anything.

"so, there's this woman."

"oh a  _woman eh?_ do tell." fangs sits his elbow on the table and rests his chin in his palm and leans forward.

" _ugh_  fangs she's amazing. she's smart, she's hard working. she always knows the right thing to say. she's fun. she gets me out of my shell. she's humbled me. not to mention she's crazy beautiful, like out of this earth beautiful. she has beautiful eyes, the most perfect smile, gorgeous hair, flawless skin."

"wow she sounds amazing."

"she really is... but..."

"oh no, but what?"

"there's just one problem... she's dating your keyboardist."

"wait...  _cheryl?_ you like  _cheryl?"_

"i do. and i know it's messed up, she's dating someone, but i can't help the way i feel. you were the one telling me to loosen up, and  _'get laid'._ and now the first person i've liked in a really long time is taken, and it sucks seeing her happy with someone else."

"wow."

"wow what?"

"you must really like her. especially considering her class. you said you'd never go for someone lower than you after what happened with forsythe."

"yeah but she is  _nothing_ like forsythe. she actually works for what she gets. hell, she works  _two jobs._ and she opened up to me. told me she wants more in life. and last night,  _ugh_ last night. we had an amazing time. i went to her bar and we talked all night and we danced and it was amazing and i just can't stop thinking about her. i want her fangs. like actually want her. but i can't have her and it's driving me crazy."

toni slams her elbow on the table and rests her head in her hand. she picks up her fork and stabs her omelette, not even in the mood to eat it anymore. fangs scoots closer and puts his hand on her shoulder.

"is she happy with valerie? like does valerie even like her? like truly like her. cause you know what she's like fangs."

"honestly, valerie doesn't talk about her much in rehearsals but i've never seen her this happy or with someone for this long."

"what am i supposed to do? i can't just turn my feelings off."

"maybe you should tell her how you feel."

"ha funny."

"no i'm serious. maybe getting it off your chest will make you feel better."

"or it will make me feel ten times worse when she rejects me."

"how do you know she'll reject you?"

"trust me, she doesn't like me like that. plus she's with valerie. i may always get what i want, but i'm not a home wrecker. besides, she works for me, and we have a great working relationship. if i tell her how i feel it could ruin what we already have."

"or it couldn't. take a risk for once."

toni nodded. that's two people now who have told her to tell cheryl how she feels. first josie and now fangs. and both of them were in relationships, so maybe they were right. what's the worst thing that could happen.

_she could reject you. it could ruin your new friendship. it could make things at the office torturously awkward._

_or she could be sweet about it and not make things awkward. or best case scenario, she could reciprocate those feelings._

if felt like there was an angel and devil on her shoulder telling her the best and worst possible outcomes at the same time. but fangs and josie were right. knowing is better than not knowing. even if cheryl doest feel the same way, which toni feels is the most likely probability, at least she can say she went for it.

_take a risk._

now she just had to figure out how to tell cheryl.

-

once again cheryl laid awake in her bed since 7 am. and once again she was thinking about toni. that dream, it felt so real, cheryl felt actual butterflies in her stomach. the same feeling she got when valerie held her hand on their first date. 

around 10 am cheryl heard movement in their kitchen, meaning veronica was finally awake. 

" _bitch."_  cheryl said as exited her room. 

"uh oh." veronica said as she took the cartoon of eggs out of the fridge and set them on the counter next to the stove. cheryl walked into the kitchen and sat on the counter next to the fridge.

"i had another dream about toni."

"oh shit really?"

"yes but this one was different. it was soft as fuck. and it felt so real. and in the dream we almost kissed but of course i woke up before we could and i was actually mad that i woke up before we kissed. like, i had butterflied ronnie. motherfucking butterflies from a damn dream."

veronica just chuckled as she started cracking eggs and dropping the yolks into a bowl.

"what's so funny?" cheryl asked crossing her arms over her chest.

"bitch, you."

"how is this funny?"

"it's funny cause you like her."

"fuck, i think i do."

"you  _think?"_

"look it doesn't matter. it's not like i'm ever gonna tell her."

"that would actually be the dumbest thing you could ever do."

"telling her?"

"no,  _not_  telling her."

"ronnie. i can't tell her. she's my fucking boss."

"but  _she_  likes you too."

"i mean- true- but- okay well what about valerie?"

"what  _about_  valerie?"

"we're dating and i really like her."

"alright you want my advice?"

"maybe."

"do you love valerie?"

"no, i'm definitely not on that level yet."

"okay so you like valerie, and you like toni. maybe you should explore your feelings with toni more."

"are you serious?"

"yeah i mean it's not like you and valerie are official girlfriends yet right?" cheryl shook her head no. "okay well spend more time with toni for like a week, then if your feelings for toni grow then you tell her  _and_  val."

cheryl thought about it. it wasn't the worst idea. it actually made a lot of sense. it was obvious toni liked her too and she knew toni wouldn't mind spending more time with her. and she and val weren't exclusive so it technically wasn't cheating. cheryl had to do this. she had to explore her feelings. for the first time cheryl is opening up her heart, she owed it to herself to explore these feelings.

"alright. hey can we have a girls day? just you and i?"

"sure, we can start now. make some mimosas?" veronica said with pleading eyes.

"okay, hold on for a sec." cheryl said with a chuckle and a shake of her head before hopping down from the counter. she walked into her room and grabbed her phone off the nightstand. she opened up her messages and she clicked on valerie's name.

**cher <3**   
_hey babe, can we postpone our day together? i told veronica we'd have a girls day._

she waited a few moments staring at her screen. a few seconds later the three little dots popped up before her message came in.

**val <3**   
_of course! i'll miss you but have a great day! tell ronnie i said hi._

she felt bad for canceling on valerie but she had to if she was gonna focus on her feelings for toni.

-

on monday morning cheryl walked in to the office 20 minutes early as usual. she spoke to everyone in her path. she stopped by josie's office, and poked her head inside to say hello before heading straight to her desk. she sighed when she noticed toni's door was closed, meaning she wasn't here yet. for the past few work days toni had been getting to her office earlier than usual, but this time cheryl beat her. 

cheryl took a seat at her desk and booted up her computer. she looked at the strip of photos taped to the side of her computer of her and valerie. she rested her elbows on her desk and clasped her fingers together and sat her chin on them.

just as she was about to reach for the photos she noticed her boss walking into the office. cheryl kept her eyes locked on her as she made her way through the office, much like cheryl did she stopped by josie's office to say goodmorning, as well as kevin's. when toni made eye contact  with her a smile graced her face.

_she has such a beautiful smile, i can't believe it took me this long to notice._

"morning, you beat me today." toni said cheerily.

"indeed i did. how was your day yesterday?"

"it was good, spent the day with my brother. you?"

"it was good, spent the day with veronica."

toni chuckled and smiled a tight lipped smile.

"hey, can i ask you something?" cheryl asked.

"sure." toni said and she sat down on the edge of cheryl's desk.

"do you wanna get lunch with me today?"

"of course! do you wanna invite josie to come with us too?" toni really didn't want josie to come with them like she has before, but she wanted to at least be polite if cheryl did in fact want josie to join them. toni noticed the two have gotten close as friends seeing as she is dating her best friend. but toni really didn't want josie to join them.

"actually can it just be us?" cheryl cursed at herself in her head at the twinge of nervousness in her chest. toni was really effecting her in ways not even valerie has.

"sure! i have a video chat meeting at 12, so is one okay?"

"yeah yeah that's perfect."

"great, well i'll let you get started on the day." toni said with a parting smile as she stood off her desk and made her way into her office leaving her door open. cheryl's eyes followed her and watched her as she made her way behind her desk to pull up her shades. 

toni turned around to walk to her desk and cheryl couldn't tell from the distance but her breath hitched when she noticed cheryl was staring at her and she didn't even try to look away. cheryl just shot her a smile and toni returned it, before she turned to look at her computer.

-

the first part of the day went by pretty slow. cheryl spent most of her morning making phone calls. every now and then she would steal a glance at toni who was typing away at her computer.

little did cheryl know toni was stealing glances at her all day too. she was working on her article for the event they covered on friday, and every time she finished a paragraph or sometimes just a sentence she would look up at cheryl.

finally one o'clock hit and cheryl stood from her desk and made her way to toni's office. she knocks lightly on her open door and the woman looks up from her computer at her.

"ready?" cheryl asked.

"yes, give a sec, let me save my article."

"oh are you finished?"

"yep, i'll just proof read it when i get back and it will be ready to go up tomorrow." 

cheryl leaned against her door frame as toni saved her article and gathered her things. cheryl stepped out of the door frame as toni closed the door behind her a locked it.

"so where too?" toni asked as they started walking towards the office entrance.

"maybe that place we went too last wednesday, that place was really good."

"great. it's close, so we can just walk." 

they were quiet as they walked toward the restaurant that was two blocks away. cheryl had no idea why she felt so... nervous. they've gotten lunch together plenty of times. but this time it's different. before those lunches were between boss and employee and they really only talked about work and few random get to know you type conversations, like favorite color, favorite movie type of shit. but this time feelings were involved on both ends.

toni was just itching to grab cheryl's hand as they walked but she knew she couldn't do that. but her fingers twitched every time she got the urge to grab cheryl's hand that was only inches away from her own.

they got to the restaurant and were seated in a booth. soon a waiter came and took their orders. after ordering toni decided to break the ice.

"so what did you and veronica do yesterday?"

"oh we just had a typical girls day. watched a bunch of movies. ordered from our favorite chinese place. gossiped."

"oh do tell."

cheryl laughed nervously. she couldn't quite tell toni that they mostly talked about toni.

"mostly just people from the bar and the latest in veronica and josie's relationship, i still can't believe she has a girlfriend, and what are the odds that her girlfriend is your best friend."

"fate is a tricky thing huh?"

"you have no idea." cheryl said and their was a pause in conversation as the two just stared at each other. a few seconds went by before cheryl took a breath.

"so what did you and your brother do yesterday?"

"pretty much the same. we had breakfast together. talked a bit. watched a couple of old movies. he played me a new song he's writing. then we went out for dinner."

"sounds fun. i still can't believe he's your brother. you two are like polar opposites."

"yeah our parents weren't too happy to hear he dropped out of business school to pursue music. me however, i always knew i wanted to start my own business."

"did you always know you wanted to be a writer?"

"yes, ever since i was placed in creative writing in fourth grade. at first i wanted to write novels, but in high school i was a sucker for the latest gossip so i figured might as well write about the real stuff instead of the fake stuff. i even ran the school newspaper."

"that's great. would you ever want to write a novel though like in the future?"

"eh i don't know. i haven't written anything fictional in years, i think i might have lost that creativity."

"i don't think you can just lose creativity. it's probably just deep down inside of you waiting for you to bring it back out."

"maybe you're right."

their waiter came with their food and they thanked him before he walked away, and they started digging into their food.

"so tell me... what's your dream? i know you don't want to be an assistant forever."

"honestly, at first i didn't really have a dream. i just did what i needed to do to make money. the bar was the first thing we stumbled across and i just so happened to fall in love with working there. but as i got older i knew i wanted more, i just didn't know what. i'll say this though, i really like working at topaz, and being your assistant isn't  _all_ bad."

toni chuckled at that.

"but i like being in charge of things, so in the future i just want to do something that i'm in charge of if that makes sense."

"no it makes perfect sense. i definitely don't want you to be my assistant forever, even though you are the best assistant i've ever had."

"hmm so you keep telling me." cheryl said in a flirty nature and toni looked down at her food to hide her blush.

the rest of lunch wen't too fast. but they talked the entire time just about any and everything. cheryl and toni couldn't help the smiles that stayed glued to their faces for the remainder of the day.

-

cheryl asked toni to lunch everyday for the rest of the week.

on tuesday toni drove them to a small little italian restaurant. they got into even deeper conversations that day.

"what was your biggest fear as a child?" cheryl asked as she stuck her fork into the tip of her cheesecake. 

"like childish fears like a child being afraid of the dark, or actual fears?"

"why not both." 

"okay well when fangs and i were 8 we watched a scary movie when we weren't supposed too so for the next like month or so i was terrified of michael myers."

"what!? michael myers movies are the best." cheryl teased.

"hey i was 8."

"okay okay fair enough."

"and for my real fear, i know this is super cliche, but my biggest fear was failing. it's always been my dream to start my own company and spend my whole life writing. it's all i ever wanted to do and if i failed at that i wouldn't know how to handle it."

"i'm guessing you used that fear as your motivation."

"what do you mean?"

"your biggest fear was not getting to do what you love, so you used that fear to push yourself hard and you achieved your goal or should i say dream. you own your own magazine company."

"wow, i've never thought of it that way before." toni smiled at cheryl in astonishment. this girl was full of surprises. "what about you?"

"my childhood fear i would say was not getting adopted. but i was put in the system at 6, and you know people only wanted to adopt new born babies and stuff. plus it didn't help that ronnie and i were trouble makers so that didn't help our chances either."

"cheryl, i'm sorry."

"no it's okay. me and ronnie got through together. she's been like my sister since day one and sweet pea and reggie are like my brothers now, so, i eventually got my family."

"so what's your biggest fear?"

"my biggest fear was that i was never gonna change."

"change how?"

"you remember what i told you in the car last friday?" toni nodded, remember about how cheryl opened up about her past with women. "well, i didn't want to be like that for the rest of my life. i'm turning 27 in a week it was time to give that player life up. i wanted connection. and i was afraid i was never gonna get it. i'm still afraid i wont get it."

"but what about valerie?"

"i mean i really like her and because of her i know i'm capable of having feelings but lately i just feel like me and her wont work in the long run."

"why not?"

cheryl paused for a moment. she wanted to give herself a week. one week to see if she had actual feelings for toni, strong enough feelings to give her a reason to talk to valerie about it. but cheryl is already thinking this way, and toni is the reason she feels she and valerie aren't in it for the long haul. if she's already thinking this was she might as well say it now.

she opened and closed her mouth a couple times. she wanted to say it. it was on the tip of her tongue but so many voices were screaming in her head.

_it's too soon._

_no it's not._

_it could ruin everything._

_or it couldn't._

_just tell her._

_no, wait._

_don't be a bitch._

_be smart about this._

"cheryl?"

just as cheryl opened her mouth, toni's cell phone rang in her purse.

_whew, thank God._

"i'm so sorry." toni apologized as she pulled her phone out of her purse. "oh it's the office." toni answered the phone a put it up to her ear. "hello... what?... he's an hour early... ugh alright i'll be there as soon as i can..." toni hung up and dropped her phone in her purse.

"i'm sorry, that guy i was  _supposed_  to be interviewing at 1:30 for my new piece is early." toni started looking around for their waiter so she could ask for the check.

"toni go, i'll take care of the check, besides i'm still working on my cheesecake."

"are you sure?"

"yes, what are assistants for right?"

toni reached across the table and placed her hand on cheryl's arm. "thank you cheryl, you are my life savor. and i'm so sorry for having to cut our lunch short."

"it's okay, i understand." cheryl said with a reassuring smile. toni handed cheryl her card to pay for her own meal before leaving with one last sorry and thank you. 

honestly cheryl was glad they got interrupted. she was about to confess her feelings for toni. she felt so relieved that she now had more time.

-

on wednesday cheryl and toni ordered food from postmates and ate in toni's office. this time their conversation was more lighthearted. cheryl was so thankful toni didn't bring up their unfinished conversation from yesterday.

"so," toni started after their laughter died down from the funny story cheryl just finished. "i'm curious."

"about?"

"what was your first impression of me?"

"wait seriously? are you sure you want the honest answer?"

"come on i know i was bitch, so just tell me. i can take it."

"okay well honestly my my very first impression of you was after i accidentally spilled coffee on you. and i honestly thought you were really beautiful."

toni suppressed a giddy smile as cheryl continued.

"and then after our interview i uh..."

"come on just tell me."

"i thought you were this up tight snobby b-" bitch was on the tip of cheryl's tongue but she stopped herself from saying it as to not be disrespectful.

"bitch. it's okay. i know i was a bitch. but uh... what do you think of me now?"

cheryl's breath hitched. toni literally just opened the biggest door and all cheryl had to do was walk through. this was literally the perfect opportunity for cheryl to say how she really feels about toni.

but of course she chickened out.

"now i think you are actually really nice, and sweet, you're great to talk to, you have this fun side of you that you're afraid to let other people see. you have a great personally when your not hiding behind your bitch persona. and i think you're a softie when it comes to people you care about, like fangs and josie."

toni got so lost in cheryl's eyes as she spoke. she wanted to smile. she wanted to grab her hand. she wanted to kiss her. but she just sat there and took it all in.

"wow thank you cheryl. i'm so glad you don't see me the same anymore. i really hate how i treated you the first time we met. you didn't deserve that. but i honestly feel like i've changed since i met you. you've humbled me, a lot. and it's true i am a bit of a softie when it comes to my little brother, even though he's only like 6 months younger than me i still feel like a protective big sister."

"so... what was your first impression of me."

"oh no. i'm saying-"

"oh come on. i can take it."

"honestly... i didn't think you were worthy or capable of this job. i thought you were  _ugh_ i hate this but... beneath me." toni cringed. 

"hmm so what do you think of me now?"

"well you definitely proved me wrong. and i'm so glad you did. you are so funny and sweet and such a hard worker. you're smart. and you were able to pull me out of my shell. i mean you got me to dance in a bar, josie couldn't even get me to dance in a bar. and you're... forgive me if i'm being too straight forward, but you are really beautiful."

"well thank you, i'm definitely glad i could show you the real me. and you're not being too straight forward, thank you."

neither girl was aware but they both had butterflies in their stomachs and their hearts were fluttering.

-

on friday morning when toni arrived at work she saw cheryl's stuff at her desk but no cheryl. she dropped her own stuff off in her office and walked to josie's office.

"hey josie, where's cheryl?"

"i think she's in the break room."

toni nodded with a thanks and made her way to the break room. she stopped outside the door when she heard cheryl's voice.

"i know i've just been busy at work." cheryl said as she held up her phone screen looking at valerie.

" _well can we get lunch today?"_

"actually-"

" _cher no, you've canceled on me all week. did i do something?"_

"no. it's just- can we talk about this later please"

" _no i wanna talk about it now."_

"babe, this isn't a phone conversation, and i'm at work. can we please talk about this later..."

" _okay cheryl. i have rehearsal until 10, i'll come by after and we can talk."_

"okay."

instead of walking inside like her instincts were telling her too she just walked away. she wanted to ask if she was okay but she knew she was the reason cheryl has canceled lunch with her, because they've eaten lunch together everyday of the week. cheryl canceled lunch plans with valerie all week for toni. she walked away with the hint of a smile.

-

at 5 on the dot toni locked her office door. she looked over at cheryl who was staring at her computer screen, not even realizing that majority of the office was empty. toni rolled up a chair from one of the desks on the floor and sat in front of cheryl's desk.

"cheryl? everything okay? you've seemed a little out of it today. you didn't even take a lunch."

"yeah, just, a lot on my mind."

"what's on your mind?"

cheryl couldn't exactly tell her without revealing her feelings for toni. she wanted to finally tell toni how she felt. but she had to talk to valerie first. so cheryl decided to change the subject.

"uh... do you uh have dinner plans with josie and kevin today?"

"nope, once again they're ditching me for their boy/girlfriends. so i'm just gonna head home."

without even thinking cheryl said, "do you wanna spend the evening with me? have some fun?"

and without even hesitating toni replied, "of course! what did you have in mind?"

"remember when i said maybe one day you'll see my kind of fun?"

"yeah..."

"well today you're gonna see it. you in?"

"let's do it."

cheryl quickly logged out of her computer and gathered her things before the two walked out of the office. 

they stepped off the elevator on the ground floor and exiting the office building. daniel was there waiting with toni's keys and just as she was about reach for her keys cheryl grabbed her wrist.

"uh uh, my kind of fun remember."

"so, what? are we walking?"

"nope." cheryl pointed over to the stairs leading down to the subway and toni's eyes widened.

"cheryl no, the subway-"

"is how i get to work every single day." cheryl interrupted. "come on be a normal new yorker for one day."

toni sighed and looked at the stairs that led underground apprehensively. but she looked at cheryl who had a soft smile on her face and her hand still holding her wrist. this girl took this form of transportation every single day. and cheryl was just telling her that she didn't think of her as that stuck up bitch she first thought she was, and there was no way in hell toni was going to resort back to that.

"daniel, can you park my car back in my space and then return my keys to me please."

"yes miss topaz."

"i promise it's not horrible." cheryl said letting go of toni's wrists and toni really wished she wouldn't have. when daniel returned with her keys they made their way to the subway. toni took a deep breath as they descended the stairs underground.

they walked onto one of the cars that was already packed with people heading home from work. there were no seats open so they had to stand.

"cheryl, is this safe?"

"toni, is this your first time on the subway?"

"is it that obvious?"

cheryl chuckled and shook her head. 

"just hold on." cheryl said as she wrapped her hand around a pole, toni immediately doing the same.

the train started moving forward and toni's heart skipped a beat and she reached for cheryl's free hand and held onto it tightly. cheryl looked down at their hands and readjusted their hands so their fingers were intertwined. 

"are you scared?"

"no, it's just my first time on the subway. just so you know i'd never do this for anyone else."

"aw, i feel honored. i took your subway virginity."

toni shot cheryl a look that made her burst into laughter. toni held onto cheryl's hand the entire ride.

-

"it wasn't so bad now was it." cheryl asked as they climbed the stairs to the ground level.

"yeah yeah, you better not tease me or your fired."

"you wouldn't fired the best assistant you've ever had now would you?" cheryl asked sweetly with puppy dog eyes.

"of course not, i couldn't lose you."

cheryl just chuckled in response as the two started walking towards their first destination, their hands still intertwined. they were both aware that they were still holding hands as they both occasionally looked down at them. but neither one of them wanted to let go. it felt so... natural.

"so where are we going?"

"you'll see when we get there."

"something you should know about me is i hate surprises."

"well that's too bad. you're rolling with me so you'll just have to deal." cheryl said but in a playful tone. toni just rolled her eyes and followed cheryl as she walked down the sidewalk.

two blocks later cheryl led them into an arcade. it was dark but lit by blacklights, and there was pop music playing over the sound system, mixed with the noises from the many games. it was packed but not crowded.

"an arcade?" toni asked and the two stepped inside.

"yeah when me and ronnie were kids we used to hang out here all the time and the owner would let us play for free."

"really? that's so nice."

"yeah, he said he rather lose a couple hundred a month than have two good kids running the streets. so we came here everyday after school when we were in middle and high school. sometimes now when ronnie and i get bored we come back here."

"wow, that's incredible." toni was absolutely loving learning more and more about cheryl's life and her past. it just made her like her even more.

"alright well lets play, first round of games on me."

the two stayed in the arcade for a little over an hour playing most of the games. there had been a lot of new games added since cheryl was a child but it still felt oh so familiar to her. 

they we're both competitive and were gave each other cute smack talk on every game. cheryl used her last quarter to play the claw machine. she a saw a really cute purple stuffed tiger that she just had to have. she furrowed her browed in concentration as she lined up the claw over the stuffed animal. toni stood at the side of the glass to get a better angle.

"back some more... a little more... there i think you got it."

cheryl pressed the big red button and the claw lowered into the mountain of stuffed animals. the claw started to rise and it clasped on the tigers head and starting pulling it up.

"come on come on come on" cheryl mumbled to herself. the claw moved over to the square shaped hole and dropped the tiger down.

"woo hoo" cheryl cheered as she pushed the flap back to claim her prize.

"wow and on the first try too!" toni said in awe.

"i'm a pro at this claw machine."

"i can see that."

cheryl extended the purpled tiger in front of toni and the shorter woman grabbed it with a raised eyebrow.

"for you." cheryl said with a smile.

"are you sure?" toni asked as she took the tiger from her.

"yes. i won it for you. had to one up you for the stuffed panda bear" cheryl said playfully as she nudged toni's shoulder with her own.

toni just smiled with a thank you but on the inside she was screaming. she felt like a teenager in this moment. if only she could call this a date.

"you hungry?" cheryl asked and toni nodded. the two left the arcade and cheryl led them to a local park and they walked along the concrete path. toni was just itching to grab cheryl's hand. she missed the feeling on comfort she felt when she was holding her hand. it's like it was the perfect fit. they stopped walking when they reached a bright yellow food truck with a short line in front of it.

"i know you're used to like 5 star dining and all but i promise you alejandro makes the best tacos ever."

"i believe you." toni said honestly and she followed cheryl to the line.

"alejandro!" cheryl greeted as she approached the window on the side of the struck.

"cheryl! hola! two chicken tacos, everything on it?"

"you know it."

"and what can i get for you love?" he said to toni.

"um, i'll just have the same."

when they both received their food on two paper plates plates cheryl grabbed a couple napkins and motioned with her head for toni to follow her and they started leisurely walking down the concrete path.

"so how did it feel being a normal new yorker for a couple hours? took the subway, played arcade games, ordered food from a truck."

"honestly this is the most fun i've had in a while, other than the carnival we went to last week."

"really?" 

"yeah, no ones ever been able to get me out of my shell like this before."

"really?" said said again.

"yeah. i've been so used to routine. and if there's anything not part of my routine i don't do it. but for you, i was willing to try new things. like taking the fucking subway." toni finished with a chuckle. 

"i've really enjoyed spending time with you this week." cheryl said with a soft smile.

"me too."

cheryl led them to an empty bench that sat in front of a small pond with a fountain in the middle. cheryl angled her body to look at toni and rose a confusing eyebrow at her. cheryl flickered her eyes down to the plate in her hands.

"i wanna see you take your first bite of an alejandro taco."

toni rolled her eyes and shook her head with a chuckled before picking up the tortilla with both hands, folding it to stop the food from falling, even though some did anyway. she took a nice sized bite of the taco and licked the salsa off the corner of her lips.

"well?"

"honestly...it's amazing."

"didn't i tell you?"

they fell into a comfortable silence as they ate their tacos. when their plates were pretty much clean, except for some of the stragglers that fell out of the soft tortilla, cheryl threw their plates in the trash can near the bench they were sitting on.

"so." toni said when cheryl sat back down.

"so." cheryl echoed as they angled their bodies to face each other.

"tell me something i don't know about you?"

"wow, i don't know if there's anything left."

"come on, almost 27 years of life i'm sure you didn't cover everything. tell me something deep."

"deep, whew shit okay uh..." cheryl looked up at the sky to try and think of something. "oh okay, but you are not allowed to judge me."

"you have my word."

"i lost my virginity to veronica when we were 14."

"oh- oh my God. seriously!"

"yeah we were young and curious. i guess we were each others sexual awakenings. but we've never dated or even liked each other that way. she's always just been my best friend."

"wow. does josie know?"

"yeah she knows, and if you're wondering how she reacted, she laughed and said it was adorable."

"wow, i was not expecting that."

"okay you know the drill, your turn."

"okay well... i used to not always be so stuck up. in high school i was known as the  _'rich bitch'_ which i owned proudly but in college i was very laid back. i started dating this guy named forsythe, we were both journalism majors and i really liked him, actually i loved him. but one day i caught him stealing money from me, and he told me he didn't actually like me he was just attracted to my money."

"oh damn."

"yeah so after that i reverted back to  _'rich bitch'_ and i haven't been with anybody since. it's also why i didn't date anyone who wasn't of equal status with me and looked down my nose at so many great guys and girls in college. i guess i had trust issues."

" i mean that's understandable. you loved him and he broke your trust. sometimes it's hard to come back from that."

"yeah but i realized recently that i can't act like that towards people just because of one bad encounter with one guy. i feel like i have really changed a lot, for the better in the past few weeks. and you wanna know why that is?"

"why?"

"you."

there goes the butterflies in cheryl's stomach again.

"you really brought me back to earth. you've kicked me off my high horse, and i really really needed that, even if i didn't know i needed it."

here it goes. toni was about to take a risk. she was about to tell cheryl how she feels. and she was nervous as  _hell_.

"cheryl i mean it when i say no one has ever gotten me out of my comfort zone like this before. no one has ever gotten me to eat a corndog, or dance in a bar, or take the subway, or eat food from a food truck. no one has made me laugh or smile the way you do in a long time. no one has ever made me feel nervous before like you do. cheryl, you are honestly, and i fucking mean this, the most amazing person i have ever met. and i know we work together and i know we've only been on a friendship level for a little while, but i have feelings for you cheryl."

there it is, no backing out now. it's out there and she can't take it back, not that she wanted to.

"i have feelings for you. i think about you all the time. i stare at you from my office. i used to never keep my door open, but i do now everyday just so i can stare at you, which actually sounds so fucking creepy. but i like you."

"toni-"

"wait. and i know you're with valerie, i know that. but i couldn't just keep these feelings inside anymore, sometimes i couldn't sleep at night. and correct me if i'm wrong but after this last week we've spent together, i've been getting vibes that maybe you like me too."

"toni, i do like you too."

"you do?"

"yeah, i do. i haven't been able to get you off my mind either. especially after the carnival i couldn't stop thinking about your kinds words and the feeling of your hand in mine-"

and that was all cheryl could say before toni scooted forward and grabbed cheryl's hand. toni started to slowly lean in and cheryl felt her head moving forward like a magnet. the lean in was tortuously slow just like in her dream. soon she felt their foreheads connect and their noses brush against each others. cheryl parted her lips to prepare to feel toni's. they were about to share their first kiss.

_holy shit!_ they were both thinking.

just as their lips were about to touch, literally a centimeter away from connecting, cheryl's phone rang and vibrated in her back pocket, causing her to jump back.

_FUCK,_ toni wanted to scream.

cheryl pulled her phone out of her back pocket and she was staring at the contact picture for valerie.

"i'm sorry it's... it's valerie."

_great fucking timing,_ toni thought as she suppressed an eyeroll.

"hey babe." cheryl said as she pressed her phone to her ear. "oh you finished rehearsal early?... okay is ronnie there?... okay i'll be there soon... bye." cheryl hung up the phone and stared at toni apologetically with a mix of longing.

"uh, we should probably get going." cheryl said standing up from the bench.

"cheryl wait." toni grabbed her wrist and pulled her back down.

"toni, i like you, i really do. but i really like valerie too. this is all just so confusing right now. i was actually waiting on telling you how i felt until after i told valerie about my feelings, because i owe her that. and i'm not mad that you told me how you felt tonight, i'm actually glad you feel the same way but i just- i was never one to catch feelings at all and now i have feelings for two people i just- i have to tell valerie, and then i just need time to think about all this."

"cheryl-" toni said to stop the girl from rambling. "i understand. i can't imagine how confusing this is for you and i understand if you need time. but cheryl, just know that my feelings for you aren't going anywhere." 

"thank you toni. thank you for being so understanding."

"of course. i just want you to be happy because after the past you've had you deserve nothing less of pure happiness, and i hope one day i'll get to be the one to make you happy. but if not, as long as you're happy, then i'll be happy for you."

cheryl just nodded. this was not how she planned for this to go. she was supposed to tell valerie first then toni. but she was also not expecting toni to confess feelings for her at all, and now she just feels completely thrown off. not everything goes to plan. she just hoped valerie would be as understanding as toni.

they took the subway back to toni's office building so she could retrieve her car, and they split up on the subway, toni being fine with it since the sun was just starting to set. 

"bye cheryl. see you on monday." toni said with a smile.

"bright and early." cheryl said returning the smile and toni gave her a nod and one last wave before walking up the stairs to the ground level as cheryl waiting for the subway car to take her home.

the entire ride home all cheryl could think about was that fact that she and toni almost kissed. they were literally so fucking close to kissing. now that cheryl thinks about it, she's glad they were interrupted. she wanted to talk to valerie about her feelings for toni before anything happened with toni, just out of respect for valerie.

finally after what seemed like the longest ride home cheryl made it to her apartment building. when she got to her front door she could hear veronica and valerie laughing on the other side.

"well, here goes nothing."

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whewww major progress. see you soon, hopefully by the end of this week. the creativity is just flowing out of me.


	8. happy birthday cheryl

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cheryl is CONFLICTED conflicted. also, veronica throws her a birthday party.
> 
> enjoy :)))

cheryl took a deep breath as she stuck her key into the lock. normally the sound of veronica and valerie would make her feel really good. her best friend and the girl she's dating getting along. but now it just made her nervous. veronica knew how cheryl felt about toni, yet here she was laughing with her about whatever the fuck they were talking about.

she took another deep breath and turned the door handle and pushed it forward as she stepped into the apartment. and there they were on the couch, laughing. valerie looked so happy and cheryl was about to ruin that with one conversation.

it wasn't until cheryl made it half way into the apartment that valerie noticed her walking in. she immediately stood from the couch with a bright smile and walked towards the redhead.

"hey babe!" valerie said cheerful as she leaped over veronica's feet trapped between the couch and their coffee table. she stood in front of cheryl and leaned in for a kiss.

cheryl went into the kiss dry with no emotion. it's not because she didn't want to kiss valerie, but because she had so much on her mind, and she almost locked lips with toni less than 30 minutes ago. valerie back away with a confused look on her face. she could tell the vibe was off.

"everything okay?"

cheryl looked past valerie and gave veronica a look that she seemed to understand and she gave her an encouraging nod.

"hey um, can we talk?"

"sure." valerie responded shakily.

"i'll give you two some privacy." veronica said as she stood from the couch and made her way to her bedroom, closing the door behind her.

"let's sit." cheryl said as she walked over to the couch and valerie followed her.

"what's going on?"

cheryl took another deep breath and reached for valerie's hand. she rubbed her thumbs over her knuckles. they didn't feel the same as toni's hands. they were a little bit bigger and not as soft. valerie also played bass guitar so she had calluses on her finger tips. but she liked that, it just reminded her that she got them from doing something she absolutely loves. these hands and fingers became so familiar to her.

"i don't know how to say this so i'm gonna just come right out and say it." cheryl rushed out and valerie shifted on the couch nervously with a drawn out okay.

"i- i have feelings for someone else." cheryl blurted out and there was an awkward pause. cheryl watched valerie as she processed this information. she didn't let go of her hand though so cheryl thought that was a good sign.

"how long?"

cheryl was taken aback, she was not expecting that to be valerie's first response.

"like a week." cheryl responded and valerie just nodded.

"so you wanna break up?"

"what? no- i mean- val i've told you about my past with women. for all my life i've kept my heart locked. but first the first time i'm opening it up and now i have feeling for two amazing women. i really like her but i really like you too. it's just so confusing right now. that's why i had been blowing you off this week to explore my feelings for her and make sure they are real."

"so you've been lying to me?"

"no- i mean kind of. i guess i was just withholding the truth."

"cheryl you could've just told me that instead of leaving me high and dry and making me feel like i did something wrong."

"but you didn't do anything wrong."

"yeah but that's how you made me feel when you canceled our plans and wouldn't give me a reason why. cheryl you're the first person i've been with for this long too, so i get it. if you would've just told me how you were feeling i would've been understanding."

"i know, i'm sorry. but i'm still very new at this, having feelings and caring about people. i guess i was just afraid to hurt your feelings."

"look cheryl." valerie reaches forward with her free hand and grabbed cheryl's other hand, and held them both. "you need to sort out your feelings. and i completely understand. i'll give you some space to do that." valerie finished and placed a kiss to cheryl's knuckle and stood from the couch making her way towards the front door. cheryl hopped off the couch and followed her grabbing her wrist to turn her around.

"val wait."

"cheryl. i'm not mad okay. maybe a little disappointed but i'm understanding. it wouldn't be fair of me to not let you explore your feelings. i'm okay. you take as long as you need."

"you really are a great girl val."

valerie just smiled and she stepped forward. she slid her arms around cheryl's lower back and pulled their bodies together. she leaned forward and capture her lips in a sensual kiss. cheryl threw her arms over valerie's shoulders and kissed her back. valerie slid her tongue in cheryl's mouth letting their tongue glide across each other's. valerie pulled back slowly and cheryl kept her eyes closed for a couple seconds before opening them.

"bye cheryl." valerie backed out of their embrace and finished her walk to the front door. cheryl followed her as valerie opened the door and she stood in the doorway and turned back around to face cheryl. she gave her one last smile before disappearing down the hallway.

cheryl closed the door and slammed her back into it and threw her head back until it came in contact with the door. she heard veronica's door open and a few seconds later she appeared into the living room.

"so, how'd it go?"

"honestly way better than i thought. she's gonna give me space so i can sort out my feelings." cheryl said as she kicked herself off the door and back into the living room. they both fell back on the couch.

"well that's good."

"yeah but how am i supposed to choose between valerie and toni?"

"i don't know." veronica shrugged.

"thanks ronnie, great advice." cheryl deadpanned.

"look, you just need to think about all the qualities of both of them, good and bad. and think about how they both make you feel."

cheryl just nodded.

_yeah sure sounds super easy._

"oh, by the way, toni and i almost kissed tonight."

"woah  _bombshell._ spill bitch."

so for the next hour or so cheryl told veronica all about her evening with toni.

and that night once again cheryl stayed up late thinking about toni and valerie and all of their qualities.

-

toni was sitting poolside at her outdoor table under a large white umbrella. they were nearing the end of spring and sometimes toni liked to eat outside when it was warm out. she also loved the sounds of spring. the calmness of the sound of the waterfall into her pool. the birds chirping. the look of her colorful garden. it gave her serenity.

toni sipped her mimosa as she scrolled through her instagram feed. she heard footsteps coming down the marble stairs behind her.

"toni, josie is here."

"thank you martin." toni said turning to give him a gracious smile.

"hey girl" josie said as she took a seat opposite of toni. one of toni's staff members set a champagne glass filled half up with orange juice and champagne in front of her. and she thanked them. "so what'cha been up to this weekend?"

"well... i may have had an unofficial date with cheryl friday evening."

"shut up! how?"

"well when you and kevin ditched me, yet again, she asked if i wanted to spend the evening with her and josie we had the most amazing time. i rode the fucking subway. and we went to this arcade she and ronnie used to go to when they were kids."

"blast zone?"

"yeah that's the one. and she won me a stuffed tiger on the claw machine. and we went to a small local park and had tacos from a food truck.  _me,_  eating food from a truck, i would've never done that before. and then we started talking and..." toni trailed off to build the anticipation.

"and what?"

"i told her i had feelings for her."

"damn, you actually did it."

"i did. i put everything out there and guess what?"

"what?"

"she said she felt the same way.  _bitch_  i wanted to scream. and then we almost kissed."

"almost?"

"just as we were about to she got a call from valerie, of all people. which i should've been worried about but she said she likes me, like really likes me. and i know i'm 27 years old i shouldn't be this excited about someone  _liking_  me, but i am. i haven't felt this excited about something in a long time."

"that's exciting, i'm happy for you toni. but, what about valerie i mean is she still in the picture?"

"she's said she was going to talk to her about it on friday, so i'm assuming she has."

"well, i'm glad you finally told her."

"yeah, you were right and i honestly feel so much better, especially knowing those feelings are reciprocated."

"so what now?"

"i guess i'll talk to her on monday, ask her how things went with valerie and then just go from there. and even if she doesn't chose me, which i really hope she does, i'm just glad i actually went for it. and even more glad knowing she feels the same way."

"well cheers to that." josie said with a smile and she and toni clinked their glasses together.

-

on monday morning toni walked into her office with an extra pep in her step. when she saw cheryl sitting at her desk her eyes lit up even more than they already were and a smile instantly grew on her face. she walked towards her keeping her eyes locked on the woman whose eyes were locked on her computer screen, not aware of her presence until she was standing right in front of her desk.

"good morning." toni said with a greeting smile.

"morning." cheryl said, a little less enthusiastic as toni would've hoped. she had a feeling she knew why cheryl was in sort of a funk.

"um, how'd it go with valerie?" she asked cautiously.

"better than i thought. i told her how i felt about you and her and she said she's gonna give me some space to figure everything out."

toni pursed her lips and nodded. as much as she  _hated_  the idea she knew it was necessary and figured she should do the same. she can't be selfish.

"then that's what i'll do too."

"what?"

"give you space to help you figure everything out."

"but we work together."

"yeah and i promise we'll only talk about work until you figure everything out. i don't want to make this harder on you."

"thank you, toni."

"of course." toni said with a reassuring smile. she nodded at her and disappeared into her office. and for the first time in a while toni worked with her door closed that day.

-

it was a blessing and a curse how completely understanding both toni and valerie were being. they were both so sweet about how cheryl felt and told her to take all the time she needed. but it also made her decision even harder. they were both incredibly great women who she really liked.

_how on earth am i supposed to decide?_

on monday after work before her shift at the bar cheryl sat in her room with a note pad and a pen making a list about all the good and bad qualities of valerie and toni. when she was done she read over the list with a drawn out sigh.

valerie's good qualities   
1\. she's beautiful   
2\. she's passionate about her music  
3\. she's caring  
4\. she's funny  
5\. she has really soft skin  
6\. she's laid back  
7\. she's understanding  
8\. she great in bed

toni's good qualities   
1\. she's beautiful   
2\. she passionate about her job  
3\. she's actually fun when she opens up  
4\. she has really soft hands, and i love to hold them  
5\. she's really easy to talk to  
6\. she makes me nervous in a good way  
7\. she's understanding

valerie's bad qualities   
1\. she's a little clingy but i like that  
2.   
3.

toni's bad qualities   
1\. she was snooty when we first met but she's completely made up for it  
2.  
3.

the lists were pretty much even, and she couldn't think of any bad qualities for both girls. but it didn't matter because all the good qualities outweighed the bad qualities by a long shot.

her alarm went off telling her it was time to get ready for her night job. she slammed the notepad on the bed with a huff. the list didn't help at all. if anything it made it harder.

how on earth was she supposed to decide between two great women. on one hand she and valerie has been together for weeks and they got really comfortable with each other. her feelings for toni were very new. but, toni excited her, she gave her  _butterflies,_  and made her nervous, in a good way. valerie didn't even make her nervous like toni did.

but valerie was the first person she opened her heart to, and she really likes her, has liked her from the first day she talked to her. toni and cheryl got off to a very rocky start, but cheryl thinks it made their journey to now that much more special. needless to say cheryl was extremely conflicted.

-

on tuesday cheryl found herself staring at toni's closed door. she respected the fact that toni was giving her space to make her decision easier. but dammit she already missed her.

she came out of her office a few times and simply gave cheryl a nod and smile every time before disappearing behind her closed door. and cheryl would stare longingly at her door.

at lunch cheryl was just itching to ask toni to lunch, but she did need space to sort her feelings. she pulled out lunch bag and started taking out the contents as josie walked up to her.

"hey girl! taking lunch?"

"yeah."

"wanna join me?"

"sure." cheryl put her food back in her bag and followed josie to her office. she took a seat at the round table to the left of her office. josie sat in front of her with a grilled chicken salad.

"so what's going on with this love triangle of yours?"

"what? how-"

"toni is my best friend and i'm dating  _yours."_

"oh duh. well to answer your question, i'm going crazy. there's these two incredible women that i really like and i don't know how choose."

"yeah ronnie says you've been kinda out of it lately, really in your head huh?"

"yeah. nothing in my life has ever been this hard before. what do you think i should do?"

"i can't really say cause toni  _is_  my best friend, so i'm biased. but i will say just follow your heart. i know that's the most vague and cliche advice ever. but your heart, if you really listen, will lead you to the right decision."

"thanks josie. i just wish my heart would speak a little louder."

josie chuckled and cheryl did too and they started digging into their food.

-

"come in" toni called out after hearing a couple knocks on her door. it was wednesday afternoon.

"hey toni." cheryl said as she opened the door and toni instantly snapped her head up from her computer with a smile.

"hey cheryl, what's up?"

"i just wanted to let you know that veronica is throwing a party for me at our bar on friday at 9 and i would love for you to come."

"of course! i will definitely be there."

"okay great." cheryl said with a smile and she started to back out of toni's doorway before she was stopped by her voice.

"cheryl wait. we don't really have much going on this week so why don't you take the day off on friday."

"wait really? are you sure?"

"yeah consider it an early birthday present."

"okay. okay cool. thank you toni."

"no problem."

and with that cheryl left her office and closed the door behind her. toni stares longingly at her door. she understands cheryl needing her space, it was her idea. but dammit she misses her. she longed to just be in her presence again, talk about anything other than work, to hold her hand again.   
  
but cheryl just invited her to  her birthday party so that was a good sign right?

toni just had to be patient.

-

"hey... cher..." veronica said as she entered their apartment on thursday evening. but trailed off when she noticed her best friend. she was laying on the couch her head falling over the seat and her legs stretched up, heels resting on the wall.

"should i flip a coin?"

"what?" she said through a laugh and she sat next to her upside down roommate.

"ya know. heads toni, tails valerie."

"i wouldn't advise that."

"how the fuck else am i supposed to choose?"

"you could date them both." veronica said with a shrug as cheryl re-situated herself on the couch to sit upright.

"i'm serious veronica."

"you know polyamory is a thing right?"

"yeah but that's just not for me."

"did you make a pros and cons list?"

"i did, and it was pretty much even. the only extra thing on valeries list is that she's great in bed."

"well maybe you should have sex with toni and see who's better."

"ronnie please i'm being serious."

"okay okay maybe not sex, but you haven't kissed."

"no we haven't. why? what's your point?"

"sometimes a kiss can tell you a lot."

"what do you mean?"

"i've kissed a lot of women, as have you, but when i kissed josie for the first time it felt like nothing i've ever felt before, it felt like literal fireworks were going off in my heart. and i knew then that i didn't want to kiss anyone else."

"really? i mean i definitely feel something when i kiss valerie. something i've never felt before."

"see, and if you kiss toni and you felt more that could help with your decision."

"i mean you make a good point. but it's not like i can just call her up and be like hey toni lets meet up so we can kiss."

"from what you told me about toni, i'm sure she wouldn't mind." veronica chuckled out making cheryl laugh.

-

"hey girl." josie said as she opened the door to her luxury apartment, stepping to the side to allow toni to enter.

"hey thanks for letting me come over short notice."

"you're always welcome here. everything okay?"

"yeah i just needed to get out of the house and out of my head." toni says as she follows josie to her living room and flops down on her large white couch. josie goes over to the small circled table in the corner and pours two shots of whiskey into two crystal glasses. she walks back over to toni and hands her glass before sitting down next to her.

"i would ask what's on your mind but i have a pretty good idea of what that is."

"i'm sorry for boring you with my constant talk about cheryl. we can talk about something else or we can watch a movie."

"toni you can talk to me about anything, i don't mind, that's what best friends are for. plus you know i live for the drama."

"ugh, josie i just- i want her to pick me. i know that may be selfish but i  _want_  her to pick me. and i want her to  _want_  to pick me. i just want the chance to make her happy. and i wish there was something i could say or do to make her see that i could really care for her. but i told her i'd give her space to sort out her feelings but ugh this waiting is killing me. i wish i could do something- i just wish..." toni trailed off and took a sip of strong brown liquid.

"hah, maybe you should kiss her." josie said jokingly, but arched an eyebrow when toni suddenly perked up. 

"what?"

"well, you know, sometimes a kiss can guide you to the answer. maybe if you were to kiss her it could help her decide, that is if she feels more than she does when she kisses valerie."

"thats genius." toni said. she threw back the rest of the whisky and set down on her glass coffee table before standing up from the couch.

"toni-"

"i gotta go. i'll see you at work tomorrow." toni says before before she rushes to the door. 

"i didn't mean literally!" she hears josie shout just as her front door shuts behind her. sure maybe josie might not have been serious but she was right. toni was about to go out on an extremely crazy, and risky limb, but fuck it.

did she think she was insane? yes. is this going against her promise of giving cheryl space and only talking about work until cheryl made her choice? oh, absolutely. but toni couldn't turn back now. she didn't want to. and sure the repercussions of this could be catastrophic. but hey, if she kisses cheryl and cheryl feels nothing, or ends up choosing valerie, at least she got to kiss her at least once. and toni would be okay with that.

_i'm insane. i'm truly insane. but fuck it._

_-_

"oh yes absolutely! i definitely approve." veronica says as cheryl holds up an outfit that she's thinking about wearing tomorrow night. 

"yeah? this one instead of that one?" cheryl says pointing to the outfit laid on the bed next to veronica who was seated on top of it.

"oh yeah this one is really cute for a normal saturday night out. but  _that one_  is definitely a birthday outfit."

cheryl pursed her lips and looked between the outfit in her hand and the one on her bed. she had went out shopping today with some of the money she has saved for this specific occasion. the money she's making at topaz, plus the bar, is incredible. so incredible that she was able to shop in name brand stores she would never step into before. she bought some clothes for work as well as a few options for her birthday. but she still wasn't sure which one she wear.

cheryl hug the outfit in her hands back in the closet as she rummaged through her clothes again. suddenly her phone started ringing.

"who is it?" cheryl said still swiping through her clothes. veronica searched around her bed for her phone. she found it underneath the outfit laying on the bed and when she rose it up to look at the contact, her jaw dropped.

"oh shit."

"what?"

"it's toni."

cheryl snapped her head around so fast she almost gave herself whiplash. she all but ran over to her bed to grab the phone from veronica.

"oh my God, why is she calling? what do i say?"

"how about hello?"

cheryl gave veronica the middle finger as she swiped her phone to answer the call and put the phone up to her ear.

"hello?"

" _cheryl, i'm outside your apartment building, can you come down for a sec? i need to talk to you, it's important."_

"uh sure." cheryl hung up the phone but was frozen.

"what?" veronica said with an arched eyebrow.

"she's here."

"what? why?"

"i don't know. she said she needs to talk to me and it's important. what do i do?"

"i mean if she drove all the way over here it must be important. could be something about work? don't trip, just go talk to her."

"okay okay, yeah it could be about work, i'm not gonna be in the office tomorrow maybe she just needs one last thing. okay, okay." cheryl takes a deep breath. what is happening? why is she so frantic and nervous right now? she gave herself a reassuring nod and exited her apartment.

toni waited outside cheryl's building pacing nervously. she was really about to do this. she was really crazy. she couldn't believe she was actually about to do this. she looked up and her heart nearly jumped out of her chest when she noticed the front door opening but it was just some man and his daughter.

"okay toni, calm down." she tried to tell herself but how could she. she was about to take the biggest risk she's ever taken. she's never felt this nervous before, but it was a good nervous, a nervous feeling that brought a smile to her face. the door opened and her heart skipped a beat, this time it was the redhead she had been anticipating for the last two minutes. 

_wow she looks gorgeous._

cheryl had her hair tied in a high messy bun. she was wearing a grey tank top that rode up a bit, black adidas joggers and flip flops. her face was bare of any makeup and to top it all off she was wearing her glasses. toni thought she looked so cute and so natural.

"hey, toni."

"hey... cheryl."

"what's up?"

toni opened and closed her mouth, unsure of what to say. she hadn't practiced a speech on her way over here and now as she stood here silent she probably should have. but she was out on limb.

"everything okay?" cheryl said her face growing concerned as toni stood there, speechless.

"yeah i just-" toni cut herself off, unaware of where she was going. she dropped her eyes to cheryl's lips. her heart was beating so fast and without even thinking she went for it. it's like her body had a mind of its own. she took a step forward and grabbed cheryl's hand. she pulled her forward, cupped her face and leaned forward closing the distance between them.

the second their lips connected it felt like toni's heart was on overload, seconds away from short circuiting. cheryl had  _the softest_  lips ever. toni bit back a whimper as she started to move her lips against cheryl's.

it took a few seconds for cheryl to register what was happening. but a few moments later toni felt arms wrap around her back, and cheryl started to kiss her back. this time toni didn't fight the whimper as she felt cheryl lips moving against hers.

_wow_

cheryl was an amazing kisser. and toni felt like she was floating. her entire body felt tingly and warm, and it felt like there was a swarm of butterflies fluttering in her stomach. toni felt cheryl's tongue flick her top lip and toni opened her mouth wider as the both tilted their heads to the left for a more intimate kiss. 

almost a minute passed and toni pulled away. she opened her eyes to look at cheryl and her face was unreadable. cheryl opened her mouth to say something and toni gripped her shoulders.

"don't... say anything... i'll see you tomorrow." toni slowly backed out of their embrace. she slid her hands down her arms until she reached her hands. she backed away and when she got to far to hold she let go of their hands. she faced cheryl as as she backed up for a few more steps before turning around and walking the short distance towards her car that was parked on the street.

cheryl's face was somewhat neutral. she raised a hand to touch her lips and her eyebrows twitched down. she blinked a few times before making her way back inside. 

when she got back to her apartment veronica was still waiting for her in her room.

"hey what happened? what did she want?" 

cheryl stood in her doorway with a look of confusion, her lips slightly parted and her eyebrows slightly furrowed.

"cheryl?" 

cheryl face relaxed back to a neutral state. she took a deep breath her chest rising and falling.

"i know who i'm choosing." cheryl said lowly and veronica looked at her with a shocked expression.

-

cheryl woke up, 27 years old, with a lot on her mind. she had made her decision and for some reason she was extremely nervous about it. both women were gonna be at her party tonight and she would only be leaving with one of them as hers.

her party was 11 hours away and she just wished she could just, not think about it until then. too bad her brain doesn’t work that way.

there was a soft knock on her door followed by a just as soft voice.

“cher? you awake?” veronica said quietly.

“yes” cheryl barely got out before her door was kicked opened causing her to flinch.

“happy mother fucking birthday bitch!” veronica yelled, carrying a tray topped with waffles, bacon, and fruit.

“thank you ronnie.” cheryl said with a soft smile as veronica set the tray next to her on the bed. it’s as if veronica could read her mind. perks of being best friends over 20 years.

“no cheryl no.”

“no what?”

“no thinking about your triangle drama. today’s your birthday and i demand you have a stress free day.”

“but i’m seeing them  _both_  tonight.”

“i don’t care. stress free day until then. got it.”

“yes ma’am.”

and that’s what cheryl had. a stress free day, with veronica’s help of course. after her breakfast in bed. the two of them watched a couple movies, an hour into the first movie. reggie and sweet pea came beat boxing on their front door.

“happy birthday!” they screamed as they barged into the apartment nearly knocking veronica over and ran over to cheryl. they sat on either side of her, and placed kisses to both of her cheeks.

“thanks guys.” cheryl said, hugging them back.

“have you had birthday breakfast yet?” reggie asked with pleading eyes.

“you’re about an hour too late.” veronica said as she flopped on the couch next to sweet pea and threw her legs over his lap.

“aw damn” sweet pea said snapping his finger. “wanna just order something?”

reggie nodded and sweet pea pulled up his postmates app to order the two boys breakfast, and the four best friends hung out and watched a couple movies until veronica said they should start getting dressed.

“get dressed for what?” reggie asked.

“we’re going to get our nails done.” cheryl said.

“oh can we come?” sweet pea asked and cheryl arched an eyebrow at him. “hey we’re about to head into summer and girls aren’t gonna wanna date some guy with ratchet feet.”

“he's right.” reggie agreed.

and a little over an hour the four of them found themselves side by side in massage chairs as four women scrubbed their feet. cheryl sat in between her 3 best friends, completely relaxed.

-

like veronica ordered, cheryl had did have a stress free day. she had the best time with her best friends. after getting their nails done the four of them had lunch in their favorite pizza place a couple blocks away from their apartment building. they talked and laughed and cheryl even got a free slice since it was her birthday.

but now she was finishing getting ready for her party and that stress came flooding back. she was about to see the two women she had fallen for and one of them would be leaving the party disappointed. she wasn't nervous about her decision, she was just nervous about turning the other person down. she didn't want to hurt anyone.

"cher come on you don't wanna be late to your own party!" cheryl heard veronica shout from their living room. cheryl took one last look at herself in her full length mirror hanging on her closet door. she smoothed her dress down with the palm of her hands and nodded at herself before grabbing her phone and her clutch and exiting her room.

"wow you look so hot, i told you that was the dress." veronica said looking up and down at her best friend.

cheryl was wearing a short tight black dress. the dress was sleeveless and had a v in the middle showing off her cleavage. her hair was half up half down, full face of make up and wore black strappy heels that crossed up her leg and stopped a few inches below her calfs.

"the cab is waiting, you ready?"

"as ready as i'll ever be." they exited the apartment, entered the cab and headed to the bar.

when they arrived, cheryl and veronica walked towards the front door with their arms looped together. when they entered the bar they heard reggie scream over the music.

"AYE IT'S THE BIRTHDAY GIRL!!"

the bar erupted into a cheer and cheryl just smiled and waved at everyone. there were a few people there that cheryl didn't know, but the bar was it was mostly full of regulars and they all knew cheryl. as she and veronica maneuvered through the bar she gave out a lot of thanks you's as the people she passed said happy birthday. they made it to the bar as sweet pea and reggie stood behind it in front of them.

"shots!" he said as he sat four shot glasses on the counter and filled them to the brim with silver tequila.

"damn already." cheryl said as she picked up a glass.

"to cheryl" veronica said and the two boys echoed her as they clinked their glasses together tapped the glasses against the counter and threw the shots back.

"alright one more!" reggie said as he picked the bottle back up.

"alright but slow down i just got here i don't wanna get wasted yet." cheryl laughed as she picked up the full shot glass once more.

"what are we toasting to this time?" cheryl asked.

"to a great ass night." sweet pea yelled and they all echoed as they did their same routine. clinking the glasses together, tapping the counter, and throwing the shot back.

"alright how about a cheryl specialty on the house?" sweet pea asked.

"okay, if you think you've mastered it."

sweet pea just smiled as he started mixing the drink. cheryl watched as he did so but didn't say anything. he placed the glass in front of her, looking with anticipation. she took a sip and hummed appreciatively.

"very close. next time add just a little bit more pineapple new amsterdam."

"damn." sweet pea mumbled.

"dancing now." veronica said and she stood from the bar with her own drink in her hand and dragged cheryl with her to the middle of the dance floor. instead of a band or playing music over the sound system, tonight they had a dj.

"yo yo yo we got birthday girl cheryl blossom on the dance floor! this one's for you!" the dj started playing birthday bitch by trap beckham, and everyone in the crowed yelled 'oh' and made room for cheryl to dance.

 _one time for the birthday bitch_  
_two times for the birthday bitch_  
 _three times for the birthday bitch_  
 _fuck it up if it's your birthday bitch_

cheryl set her drink on one of the tables and motioned for veronica to join her in the makeshift circle. veronica discarded her drink too. and danced her way over to cheryl. cheryl grabbed her hand and spun her around before they danced against each other.

when the song was over the crowed cheered as cheryl and veronica hugged each other and laughed.

"hey what did we miss?"

veronica snapped her head up when she heard her girlfriends voice.

"hey baby!" she said cheerfully and she basically jumped into josie's arms to greet her with a kiss. and of course with josie there was toni. cheryl looked at her a nervous smile.

"um... hey, cheryl." toni offered a smile.

"hey."

"happy birthday."

"thank you." cheryl nervously looked down at her feet for second, not sure of what to say, and toni awkwardly scratched the back of her neck.

"oh!" josie said once she pulled away from veronica's lips. "happy birthday girl!"

"thank you." cheryl said with a smile and toni looked at her with a confused look. she greeted josie much more enthusiastically than she did toni. and that made her stomach twinge with nerves, and not the good kind.

"so uh..." toni said getting the redheads attention. "how was your day?"

"it was pretty good, i spent the day with day with my best friends and we..." cheryl trailed off and toni furrowed her brows she notice cheryl looking over her head.

cheryl's demeanor seemed to have changed. her eyebrows raised and if toni could've swore she had the look of longing. toni had a feeling she knew who cheryl was looking at, but she turned around anyway. and just as she suspected valerie was making her way through the bar towards them.

"hey you." valerie said with a soft smile.

"hey."

"happy birthday." valerie said as she stepped forward and opened her arms. cheryl stepped into them and slid her hands around her lower back and rested her chin on her shoulder. she closed her eyes.

toni scratched her eyebrow with her thumb and looked down at her feet. josie and veronica watched the whole scene and they looked at toni somewhat somberly.

"you look amazing, can i buy you a drink?" valerie asked once they seperated.

"thank you, and sure." cheryl replied and valerie grabbed her hand and led her to the bar.

toni watched them walk away with longing eyes as she let out a sigh.

"toni?" josie asked.

"you know it's okay. it's okay, really."

"you sure?"

toni looked over at the two again and valerie reached across to grab cheryl's hand and rested them on her lap.

"yeah i'm good. honest. i'm just... gonna step outside for some air."

"you want me to get you a drink?"

"no i'm okay."

toni turned around and took one last look at cheryl before walking out the front door of the bar. she leaned her back against the brick and released a large breath. she came here so excited and with in 5 minutes she wanted to leave.

-

valerie and cheryl sat up on the bar stools and reggie just happened to be standing in front of them.

"hey reggie let me get a rum and coke and whatever the lady wants."

"just make me an amaretto sour."

reggie nodded and started making their drinks. valerie looked at cheryl with a smile and reached forward to grab her hand.

"i've missed you this week." valerie said and cheryl's breath hitched as she squeezed valerie's hand.

"that reminds me. there's something i want to tell you." cheryl tilted her head and looked into her eyes. valerie kept her eyes locked on cheryl's face and squinted her eyes, before rubbing cheryl's knuckled with her thumb.

"it's not me is it?"

cheryl looked down at their hands and covered them with her free hand.

"i'm sorry." she said looking back into valerie's eyes.

"i'm sorry too." cheryl looked off to the side where josie and veronica were currently dancing but furrowed her brows when there was no sign of toni.

"it's toni isn't it?"

"what? how'd you know?" cheryl said snapping her eyes back to the girl.

"your mood kinda changed after your work event with her. and i kinda had a hunch when you kept canceling on me for lunch."

"val, i'm really sorry. i didn't mean to catch these feelings."

"but you did, and it's okay."

"you really mean that?"

"yeah. hey am i a little disappointed you didn't pick me? sure. but i'll get over it. and i'll never regret falling for you cheryl. i just want you to be happy and if toni really makes you happy then i'll be happy for you. you deserve happiness cheryl and i just hope that she can give you that."

"thank you. you really are a great girl valerie, and i'll never regret our time together either. you're the first person i ever caught feelings for, you helped me open up my heart and i'll never forget that."

valerie rose cheryl's hand up to her lips and pressed a soft kiss to the back of it. "goodbye cheryl."

"bye." cheryl said with a smile which valerie returned before she hopped of the chair, placed a $10 bill on the counter, taking her drink and walking towards the dance floor.

cheryl sat there a few moments to gather her thoughts before hopping off the table leaving her untouched drink behind. she walked over to veronica and josie who were dancing, and seemed to be in their own world as their eyes stayed locked on each other.

"hey guys sorry to interrupt. where did toni go?"

"she went outside for some air." josie replied and cheryl thanked her before heading towards the front door of the bar. when she stepped outside she saw toni leaning against the brick looking down at her feet. cheryl didn't even have time to take in toni's look, she was so nervous about valerie showing up, and seeing toni before seeing valeire threw her completely off. but now that her mind was clear-

_wow._

toni looked amazing. she was wearing a short maroon leather skirt and a black spaghetti strapped crop top she wore black chunky heels and her hair was pulled up into a pontyail. cheryl has  _never_ seen toni dress like this and she never expected to but  _wow._

"hey there." cheryl said causing toni to jump slightly and snap her head towards her.

"oh hey." toni said with a soft smile.

"what are you doing out here?" cheryl asked as she moved to stand next to toni.

"i just needed some air."

cheryl pursed her lips and nodded.

"toni?"

"yeah?"

"will you be my girlfriend?" cheryl said without even thinking.

"i- wh-what?" toni stuttered out as she snapped her head towards the girl. cheryl stood off the wall and moved to stand in front of toni. she had practiced a little speech last night, and just now inside the bar. but when in the moment she just said what she had been wanting ever since toni kissed her last night.

"will you be my girlfriend?" cheryl said, taking toni's hands in hers.

"i- but- what about valerie? i thought you chose her."

"i just broke up with her." toni eyes widened in shock. "toni, i want you. last night after you kissed me i just, God, i felt like i got hit by the largest arrow shot by cupid. i just had this feeling inside me that i couldn't even begin explain. and it's ironic because veronica was just telling me that sometimes a kiss can give you an answer. and i knew the moment our lips touched that you were the one i want to be with. toni, i chose you. so i'll ask again. will you be my girlfriend."

"yes, cheryl yes i'll be your girlfriend." toni nodded with a wide smile before cheryl pulled her forward for a hug. toni wrapped her arms around cheryl's shoulders and buried her face in her neck as cheryl wrapped her arms tightly around toni's lower back.

they pulled away from their tight embrace, their arms still wrapped around each other. toni flickered her eyes down to cheryl's lips, craving to kiss them again.

"can i kiss you again?" toni asked.

"please."

toni cupped cheryl's cheeks and the two leaned in, meeting in middle as their lips connected again. cheryl had the same feeling as she did the first time toni kissed her. their lips moved together for a few moments before toni suddenly pulled away.

"wait you said veronica said something about a kiss is the best way to figure out how you feel about someone?"

"yeah..."

"josie told me the  _exact_  same thing last night."

"you don't think-"

"of course they planned that."

"those sneaky bitches." the two of them chuckled and shook their heads before leaning back in and connecting their lips once more. it prolonged for a while. cheryl lowered her hands to rest just above her rear and pulled her even closer as she deepened the kiss. toni wove her fingers into cheryl's hair as she moaned into the kiss. cheryl pulled away and the two stared into each others eyes for a moments before leaning back in for a soft sweet kiss, letting it linger for a bit before finally pulling away.

"wow." toni whispered.

"wow indeed."

toni leaned up for one more peck. she had a feeling she wouldn't be able to get enough of kissing her.

"so, will my  _girlfriend_ please escort me back into my party?"

"i would be honored."

they interlaced their fingers and walked back into the club, the both of them the happiest they've ever been. cheryl led them through the dancing bodies until they reached veronica and josie who haven't stopped dancing since they first arrived.

"hey!" cheryl shouted over the music causing the couple to direct their attention to them.

"hey-  _hey."_ veronica said when she noticed they were holding hands.

"what's going on here?" josie said with a smirk.

"oh, just holding hands with my girlfriend." cheryl said as she lifted toni's hand to place a kiss to the back of it. toni's heart fluttered at the action.

"well damn it's about time!" veronica over exaggerated.

"yeah we know all about your little plan." toni said.

"we- we don't know what your talking about." josie said crossing her arms.

"oh please. you both just so happen to give us the exact same advice about a kiss at the same time."

"okay whatever you caught us. but uh,  _you're welcome."_

"i guess we should thank you. i'm right where i want to be." cheryl said turning to look at her girlfriend. toni smiled and leaned in again to give her a peck on the lips, smiling into the kiss.

"you two are already disgustingly cute." veronica said as she and josie turned to face each other to start dancing again.

cheryl and toni followed suit and turned towards each other. cheryl threw toni's arms over her shoulder and placed her hands on toni's waist as they started dancing against each others.

"you look  _amazing_  by the way." toni said.

"so do you." cheryl leaned forward to give her a quick peck.

"happy birthday cheryl."

cheryl leaned down to capture toni's lips yet again. she also had a feeling she would'nt get enough of kissing toni.

"best birthday ever."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> they're finally together! the story is about to get real good from here. until next time! catch me on twitter @cheryltoepaz
> 
> p.s. be on the lookout for the sequel to wherever i go, coming sometime next week.


	9. she could be the one

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is kind of a filler chapter but it's still very important. toni and cheryl go on their first date.
> 
> enjoy :) and catch me on twitter @cheryltoepaz
> 
> **please read the end notes after this chapter**

to say this night was the best night of cheryl's life is an understatement. she had woken this morning stressed and ended the night the happiest she's ever been. she got the girl. a girl that three weeks ago she wouldn't have even thought twice about in that way. it's crazy just how fast the night changes huh?

and valerie made her happy, she helped cheryl open her heart, and for that she's truly grateful for their time together. but  _toni_... toni makes her feel things she's never felt before. they literally just got together and she already happier than she's ever been.

she wasn't lying when she said this was the best birthday ever.

"this... was... the... best... birthday... ever." cheryl said in between sweet pecks to toni's lips. she was leaning her back against toni's car, her hands on her waist, just inching to wrap around and lower to her backside, but they weren't there yet.

"mmm... you taste like alcohol." toni whispered against her lips.

"i may have had a bit much to drink, but hey you only turn 27 once. i hope my boss doesn't frown upon me letting loose like this." cheryl said leaning forward to capture her lips again.

"i'm sure she's fine with it." toni giggled into the kiss.

"oh my God, you've been dating for like 2 hours and you're already this clingy and cheesy." josie said leaning against car a few feet away from them holding hands with veronica standing in front of her.

"yeah, get a room." veronica added.

"hmm maybe someday." cheryl said her eyes softening and smiling at toni who just smiled in response. "text me when you make it home okay?"

"okay." toni responded before leaning in for one last parting kiss, their lips moving against each other's slowly.

it's only been a couple hours since they've become official but toni was already addicted to cheryl's lips. she really is the best kisser ever. her lips were so soft and her kisses were so tender, and her tongue felt like heaven against her own. toni already couldn't get enough. this woman would be the death of her.

cheryl started to pull away and toni reluctantly pulled back with a soft smack of their lips.

"goodnight toni."

"goodnight cheryl."

"bye baby, i love you." toni heard josie say.

"i love you too. see you tomorrow." veronica replied as she stepped onto the sidewalk to wait for cheryl.

toni stepped back and allowed cheryl to push herself off the side of the car. toni watched as she walked towards their door and linked arms with veronica. cheryl took one last look at toni and blew toni a kiss before walking inside their apartment building. once they were inside the other set of best friends slid inside toni's car.

"i love you huh? when did that start?" toni asked once they were settled inside her car.

"a couple days ago actually. it's crazy how much i love her. i really think she's the one."

"i'm so happy for you josie. i hope cheryl and i get there one day. i'm already crazy about her." toni said as she pushed her car to start and drove out onto the street.

"oh you will no doubt. you two are good for each other. and i can already tell by the way you look at each other."

"yeah. she could be the one."

-

the next morning, despite the slight partying she did last night cheryl wakes up around 9:30. with her day job she's so used to waking up early now. she doesn't hear movement in the living room so she gets out of bed and makes her way to their kitchen to prepare breakfast for herself and her roommate. soon veronica appears from her room.

"food got you out of bed huh?"

"of course, why else would i be up at 9:30 on a saturday." veronica chuckled.

when the simple breakfast was finished cooking the two resided in he living room to dig in while watching an old sit com on tv. a few minutes into their breakfast cheryl's phone rang and she couldn't help but smile at the name on the screen.

"good morning." cheryl answered cheerfully.

" _good morning. you're in a great mood so early on a saturday."_

"of course i'm in a great mood when my girlfriend calls." cheryl's smile grew as she called toni her girlfriend. was never gonna stop saying that word. especially since toni is her first.

_"how are you feeling?"_

"i'm great, no hangover if that's what you're wondering."

_"that's good. are you working tonight?"_

"no i'm off all weekend. why?"

_"would my girlfriend let me take her on a date tonight?"_

"i think she would love that."

_"great, i'll pick you up at 7, and uh... dress up. tonight we're doing my kind of fun."_

_-_

"fuck! why is this so hard!" cheryl said frustratedly as she ran her fingers through her hair.

"just go with the black dress." veronica said as she sat on top of cheryl's bed, watching her best friend toss through her wardrobe.

"no that's too simple."

"sometimes less is more."

"v, toni is planning this. what if she takes me to some five start restaurant. i can't go in there just looking simple. and this is our first official date i have to look perfect." cheryl said as she peeled a navy blue dress off her body and threw it on the floor.

"wow you really like her."

"what?"

"i've never seen you so frantic about a date."

cheryl stepped away from her closet and took a deep breath to calm herself.

"i like her so much ronnie. that's why i have to look perfect."

"c, toni is crazy about you. she's not gonna care what you're wearing. all she's gonna care about is seeing you."

"yeah you're right, you're right. okay i gotta chill." cheryl said as she calmly started swiping through clothes again.

"so uhhh are you two gonna... you know...  _bow chica wow wow."_ veronica sang.

cheryl turned around to face her best friend and rolled her eyes when she saw her making kissy faces and wiggling her eyebrows.

"nope, not on our first date."

"ha yeah sure... you said the same thing about valerie."

"yeah well this time i mean it. i wanna do this right with toni."

"wow i almost believe you." veronica said sarcastically.

"whatever bitch." cheryl laughed as she picked up the black dress she had thrown on the bed. "so you really think i should go with the black dress?"

"absolutely."

-

toni stands outside, leaning against her car as she waits for cheryl to come out of her building. she had called cheryl telling her she was here, and she had an intention on going up to her apartment to pick her up properly, but cheryl told her she would just meet her outside. toni had furrowed her brows in confusion but said nothing more and waiting for her girlfriend outside.

when the door was open toni's jaw literally dropped as cheryl stepped outside in the most beautiful dress she's ever seen her in. it was a simple black dress, strapless and hugged her curved graciously, but cheryl just looked so elegant in it.

cheryl had the exact same reaction when she saw toni. she was wearing a black leather skirt and a black long sleeved turtleneck, and clear rectangle shaped glasses.

"wow." toni said as cheryl approached her. "you look amazing."

"so do you." cheryl said as she scanned toni's body.

toni grabbed her hand and rubbed her knuckles with the pad of her thumb as they met each other for three short pecks, the last one lingering a little bit longer.

"shall we?"

cheryl just nodded with a smile as toni opened the front door for her.

"you're too kind." cheryl said as she sat down in the front seat.

"i like your glasses by the way, i didn't know you wore glasses." cheryl asked once toni was situated in the drivers seat.

"i don't actually, they're fake. but don't tell anyone, they go with the aesthetic of the outfit."

"you're secret is safe with me. you look really cute."

"thank you." toni said turning to look at cheryl with a soft smile before pushing her car to start.

toni's heart was pounding. this was her first official date with cheryl and she was the most nervous she's ever been. not only is it her first date with cheryl but it's the first date she's been on in years and she's a little out of practice. sure she spent an evening with cheryl the day she confessed her feelings to her but it wasn't an official date so there was no pressure. but now she just wanted this evening to be perfect, especially since she was in charge of the plans.

"so where are we going?" cheryl's voice pulled toni out of her thoughts. her lips curled into a smile as she reached across the console and intertwined their fingers. cheryl hand in hers instantly calmed her fast beating heart.

"that's a surprise."

"i thought you hated surprises." cheryl said as she drew circles on the back of toni's hand with her free hand.

"i do. but you love them."

cheryl turned to look at to is side profile with a look of wonder. she saw toni's lips twitched up into a smirk. cheryl brought toni's hand up to her lips and pressed a soft kiss to the back of it and she could've swore she heard toni's breath hitch.

after a 15 minute drive toni pulled into a parking space on the street. when they exited the car toni walked around and interlaced her fingers with cheryl and walked in the direction of the location that cheryl still had no idea what it is.

"it's just a couple blocks down." toni informed and cheryl nodded as she allowed toni to lead her. soon they arrived at a building that had no sign or name on it. the windows were tinted black as well as the windows on the door, and there was a tall muscular man in an all black suit standing in front of the door.

"toni topaz. it's been too long."

"marcus. how have you been."

"i've been great. haven't seen you here in a long time."

"i've been busy with work, but now i have a great reason to come." toni said shooting cheryl a smile who returned it and squeezed her hand.

"well, come on in, you're usual table is waiting."

toni thanked him as he opened the door and she led cheryl inside where they were met by a hostess who led them to a table.

cheryl took in her surroundings as they followed the hostess. they were in a small private restaurant, it seemed exclusive seeing as there was a security guard at the door. everyone had on fancy artsy looking dresses and tuxedos.

there was eclectic looking art on the walls and light jazz music filling the restaurant.

they reached their table and sat down as the hostess informed them that a waiter would be with them soon.

"what is this place?" cheryl asked when the hostess walked away.

"it's a very exclusive private restaurant, they have the most exquisite food. and there's a small art gallery in the back."

"ah now i understand the turtleneck and glasses."

just then a waiter came up to their table.

"good evening ladies, my name is john i'll be taking care of you this evening. can i start you out with something to drink?"

"cheryl do you have any wine preferences?"

"i am a fan of chardonnay"

"okay. a bottle of chardonnay please."

"yes ma'am, would you like that on ice?"

"yes please."

the waiter nodded left their table giving the couple a few minutes to look over the menu. he returned a couple minutes later with the bottle of chardonnay in a silver bucket and two wine glasses. he filled their glasses up half way and set them on the table and pulled out a note pad from his apron.

"are you ready to order or do you need a few minutes?"

"are you ready?" toni asked cheryl who just nodded in response.

"i'll have the filet mignon cooked well done with broccoli." toni said as she closed her menu.

"and i'll have the chicken alfredo." cheryl said as she closed her menu and the two of them handed them to the waiter as he left once more.

"i'd like to make a toast." toni started as she lifted her glass in the air, cheryl following suit. "to the beginning of... us."

cheryl lips curled up in a soft smile as she clinked her glass with toni. "to us."

the dinner was divine. cheryl has never tasted such amazing food before. her first bite of penne pasta caused her to moan in appreciation which also caused toni to chuckle.

after toni insisted she pay for the meal since she was the one that asked cheryl on the date the two got of from their table, interlocking fingers, and toni led them to the back of the restaurant, down a short hallway that opened up into a small art gallery.

"wow." cheryl said as she scanned the room taking in the sculptures in the middle of the room, and all the art hung on the walls. toni just smiled at her girlfriend as she looked at all the art with eyes of wonder. it's clear cheryl has never done something like this before, and she wondered if that's what she looked like when she ate that taco from that food truck.

toni removed her hand from cheryl's and rested it on the small of her back and led her to the beginning of the wall art. they took their time as they walked around the room looking at all of the art. cheryl absolutely adored hearing toni describe what she thinks about the art.

cheryl followed toni around and listened as she described all the art. well, she tried to listen, most of the time she got so lost in her eyes and how passionately she was speaking that she completely zoned out, only coming back to earth when toni asked her what she thought of the art. most of her responses included ' _i like it'_ or ' _it's beautiful'_.

they walked around the entirety of the gallery and stopped when they reached the last piece of art hanging on the wall. except it wasn't a painting or a drawing. it was a photograph. more specifically a black and white photograph of the brooklyn bridge, taken on the brooklyn bridge with the sun light beaming through the awning.

"so what do you think of this one?" toni asked.

"i think it's different from all of the other art here. all of that was abstract and non-realistic. but this, this is real. it's calm. it's beautiful. it's..." cheryl squinted her eyed as she noticed the name beneath the photograph. "it's yours?" cheryl looked at toni wide eyed as she was looking back at her with a smirk. "you photographed this? wait- you do photography?"

toni chuckled and placed her hand back on her lower back. "i used to a long time ago just as a side hobby. i'm good friends with the owner and he insisted that i let him keep it in the gallery."

"you are just full of surprises huh?" cheryl said, looking at her with soft eyes as she trailed her hand up toni's arm.

"well if it isn't miss toni topaz. they told me you found away to sneak in here."

a smile grew on toni's face as she looked over cheryl's shoulder at the voice.

"archie andrews. i figured i'd grace you with my presence."

cheryl turned around as man with similar fiery hair to hers, dressed in a slim grey suit, maroon turtleneck and matching maroon velvet loafers, walked towards them.

"it's been far too long" he said as he opened his arms and toni walked into his embrace and hugged him back.

"i know, it really has."

"and who's the lovely lady?"

"archie this my amazingly beautiful girlfriend cheryl. cheryl this is archie the owner of this fine establishment."

"it is such a pleasure to meet you cheryl." archie said extending his hand.

"you as well." cheryl said with a smile as she shook his hand.

"and let me tell you. you scored the jackpot with toni. she can be a little rough around the edges but once you get to know her she is a softie and sweetheart."

"yeah i'm figuring that out." cheryl said directing her smile towards toni as she grabbed her hand and placed a short kiss to the back of it.

"so how long have you been together?" archie asked.

"actually, only a day, but i've been pining after her from a far for a month. this is actually our first official date."

"well i'm honored you chose my place to have your first date." archie said with a sweet smile, placing his hand over his heart. "well i'll let you get back to your romances and please don't stay away to long."

"trust me, we will be back soon. let me know when you get new art."

"i definitely will. enjoy your evening and it was nice to meet you cheryl."

"likewise." cheryl said and the couple smiled as he walked off to talk with his other guests. cheryl turned her body to face toni.

"this is the best first date i've ever been on. thank you so much toni."

"you are so very welcome."

-

toni pulled her car to a stop in front of cheryl's apartment building and pushed the car to stop. she turned to face cheryl and the redhead turned to face her.

"i really had an amazing night toni."

"i did to." toni said as her eyes went back and fourth between cheryl's eyes to her lips.

cheryl got the hint and she wrapped her hand around the back of toni's neck and pulled her forward for a kiss. toni brought her hands up to cup cheryl's cheeks as their lips pushed and pulled against each other's for a good while. cheryl slid her tongue into toni's mouth causing the other woman to hum in response.

cheryl has been with a lot of women but toni was hands down the best kisser. the fireworks she felt in her heart were never there. the sparks she saw on her eyes has never happened. the fluttering she felt in her stomach was never this strong and the feeling in her core was ever present. cheryl wanted nothing more than to pull her in her lap and ravage her neck, but she wanted to work up to that. little did she know toni was feeling the exact same way. 

cheryl dug her teeth into toni's bottom and pulled it back before releasing it and they rested their foreheads together.

_wow,_ toni thought.

she wanted nothing more than to be invited up, she almost asked if she could but didn't want to invite herself inside.

"so... can i see you tomorrow?" cheryl said lowly

"i would love nothing more."

cheryl leaned forward to place another kiss to toni's lips.

"goodnight toni."

"goodnight cheryl. can i walk you up?"

cheryl really wanted to let toni walk her up, but she was hesitant to do that for multiple reasons.

"hmm, not this time okay?"

toni nodded and leaned in to place one last kiss to cheryl's lips. she sighed as she watched cheryl exit her car, only a little disappointed that she didn't get invited up. but they had only been official for a day and this was only their first date so she wasn't too disappointed. besides she would see her tomorrow.

cheryl looked back for one last wave goodbye before entering apartment building.

when she got to her apartment and entered veronica and josie were cuddled up on the couch watching a movie. veronica rose her head off josie's chest as cheryl walked inside.

"hey you're back. and without toni. wow you were actually serious." veronica said as the couple sat up to a sitting position.

"i told you v, i'm doing this right."

"so how was it?" veronica asked.

"ugh ronnie it was amazing. God, she's just so- ugh the way she makes me feel already. she could really be the one."

veronica and josie just smiled at her with the cheesiest smiles. cheryl has never said that about anyone before, and she's never meant anything more seriously than she does now. cheryl really thought toni could be the one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not saying that it's happening soon but where should toni and cheryl have their first time? cheryl's apartment or toni's mansion? let me know :)


	10. let me in

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> toni and cheryl are progressing in their relationship. 
> 
> enjoy and catch me on twitter @cheryltoepaz

once again, toni wakes up to fangs in her house. but, once again toni doesn't care. she had an amazing first date with cheryl last night and not even her stupid little brother eating her food can ruin her mood. she smiled at him as he looked up from his plate of pancakes, having just forked a large bite into his mouth.

"morning sis." he mumbled with his mouth full.

"morning." toni said with a hazy smile as she sat down in front of her own breakfast.

"i would ask you why you're in such a good mood but valerie told me cheryl dumped her for my sister."

"i'm not even sorry. i'm crazy about cheryl, and i'm gonna make her really happy."

"well, i am so happy for you. i'm just glad you're finally getting laid."

"well, not yet. we've only been dating officially for two days and had our first date yesterday."

"you two didn't fuck on the first date?" fangs asked, eyebrows raised in actual shock.

"okay first of all don't just say  _fuck_ like that when referring to my girlfriend." toni said in a warning tone causing the man to raise his arms in surrender. "and secondly no we didn't have sex on our first date. you know part of me was hoping she would invite me up but she would even let me walk her to her door. why do you think that is?"

"i don't know." fangs said with a shrug, shoving another stack of pancakes in his mouth.

"thanks. such a big help." toni said sarcastically with a roll of her eyes as she dig into her own breakfast.

although she and cheryl had an amazing date last night she couldn't help but wonder why cheryl wouldn't let her walk her up to the door. she was only a little concerned. maybe cheryl didn't want to move too fast. but toni just dropped it. she got the girl, that's all that matters right now.

-

once again toni sat in her car outside of cheryl's apartment building. when she had arrived she texted cheryl asking for her apartment number in hopes to actually pick her up properly, but cheryl had just responded saying she'll just meet her outside. toni had sighed, but brushed it off and waited patiently in her car.

a few moments later her front door was opened and cheryl fell into the front seat. before toni even had a chance to say anything, a soft hand was gripping her chin and turning her face before she was met with soft lips. she hummed in surprise before kissing her back properly.

"well hello to you too." toni whispered against her lips. cheryl places one last tender kiss to her lips before pulling away, eyes still locked on toni's lips.

"i still can't believe i get to kiss you."

toni was about to ask what brought this on but before she could cheryl's lips were on hers again. 

"mmm... we're.... gonna be late... for the movie." toni got out in between kisses. cheryl held her lips against toni's for a couple more seconds before finally pulling away.

"sorry-"

"you never have to apologize for kissing me."

cheryl sat back against her seat as toni started the car and a few moments later toni's hand was in hers. cheryl didn't mean to attack toni like she did. but after their makeout session last night, in addition to the explicit dream she had about toni she was a little worked up. she already wanted toni so bad. and if the way toni kissed was any indication, she knew she would be amazing in bed. but they weren't there yet, or at least she didn't want them to be there yet. she wanted to take her time with this one, let her feelings grow deeper before taking her to bed. but needless to say it was already killing cheryl.

toni and cheryl walked hand in hand into the movie theater. after cheryl purchased the tickets and toni purchased the snacks they made their way to the theater. cheryl led them up the stairs towards the top and sat in the middle of the screen.

during the movie cheryl wanted nothing more than to grab toni's hand, she craved to feel her soft skin. but damn that stupid popcorn bucket. cheryl was sitting to toni's right and the large popcorn bucket was in toni's lap and of course she's right handed. every so often cheryl would steal an subtle glance at her girlfriend, just waiting for an opportunity to steal her hand away from the buttery snack that toni was demolishing.

finally, toni removed her hand from the bucket and rested it on top of the arm rest that split the two. cheryl, without hesitation, started to draw circles to the top of toni's hand with her left hand. toni removed her hand from the arm rest and cheryl furrowed her brows in confusion before she lifted the arm rest up. toni reached over and grabbed cheryl's left hand with her left hand and lifted her arm up and wrapped it around her shoulders and intertwined their fingers. cheryl smiled and turned her body slightly as toni leaned into her. she leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the back of her head and both of their hearts felt warm at this moment.

toni rested the popcorn bucket in between her legs and her free hand went back into the bucket.

"popcorn?" she whispered.

"sure." and before cheryl could reach into the bucket herself toni held up a piece to her mouth. cheryl stifled a laugh and leaned forward to take the popcorn between her teeth. this was the most intimate thing they've ever done and cheryl was enjoying every second of it.

throughout the movie toni continued snacking and every so often would lift up a piece for cheryl to eat. when the bucket got down to a third of the way full toni leaned forward to set it on the floor before settling back into their position. except, this time toni rested her free hand on cheryl's jean clad thigh just above her knee. cheryl released a slow shaky breath as she looked down at toni's hand.  _God_ , this woman was doing things to her. she starting trailing her fingers up and down toni's forearm and little did she know toni was feeling the same thing.

after the movie, toni drove she and cheryl to a local restaurant. it wasn't a fancy five star restaurant but it wasn't your average pizza place either.

"what?" cheryl asked after ordering and realizing that her girlfriend had been staring at her from the other side of the booth.

"nothing, you're just really beautiful."

"thank you. so are you." cheryl replied tilting her head and looking at toni with soft eyes. she reached across the table to take toni's hand in hers and just gazed into her eyes for a few seconds. suddenly a thought appeared in her head and she sucked in a breath.

"um... so, can we talk about something?"

"yeah sure, is everything okay?" toni said, her heart rate picking up.  _can we talk_  never means anything good.

"yeah, i just- on monday when we go to work..." cheryl trailed off and toni instantly relaxed and nodded her head, immediately knowing what cheryl meant.

"you know we aren't the only two people in that office that date right?" toni said rubbing cheryl's knuckles with her thumb.

"yeah but this is different. you're the owner and i'm your assistant."

"so?"

"so... i don't want people to look at me any different. like what if they think i'm just using you to get ahead or using you for your money some shit?"

"well, are you?"

"no of course not-"

"then fuck the other people. if they give you a hard time then i'll just fire them." toni said with a chuckle trying to lighten the mood.

"babe, i'm being serious."

toni froze for a second, face struck with slight shock as her lips curled into a soft smile. it was the first tome cheryl has called her any kind of term of endearment, and even though it was short and just slipped into conversation it made her heart swell.

"so i've been upgraded to babe huh?"

"yeah, if you're cool with that." cheryl didn't even realize she said it. it just flowed so easily out of her mouth.

"i'm more than cool with that. but i mean it. i've waiting so long to finally be here with you, and i'm not gonna hide it for anyone. i'm not saying we gotta be all mushy with the pda, because it's still a place of work. but if i wanna hold your hand in the office, i  _will_."

cheryl was actually shocked. she really wasn't expecting toni to be so willing to be open about their relationship at work. she always thought a boss assistant relationship was supposed to stay a secret, like in every movie and tv show ever. but then again, topaz magazine  _was_  her company. so if toni wasn't afraid to be open, neither would cheryl.

" _you_ , toni topaz, are amazing." cheryl said as she lifted toni's hand and leaned across the table to place a kiss to her knuckles.

"thanks...  _babe_."

cheryl chuckled with a roll of her eyes as she sat back in her seat. her nervousness was completely gone and all she could think about was how she definitely made the right decision. in just two days of dating she's already made her the happiest she's ever been.

-

at the end of the night toni pulled her car up to cheryl's apartment building, and pushed the button to turn the car off.

"thank you for another amazing night." cheryl said, leaning over the console with the intention to kiss her girlfriend goodnight. but she was only able to place one peck to her lips before toni cupped her cheek and backed away.

"i can walk you up."

"you don't have to i'm-"

"cheryl. please, let me walk you up." toni said with all seriousness. cheryl was so hesitant but she released a breath and nodded.

"okay, okay."

the couple exited toni's car and cheryl reached for her hand as she led them into the building and up the stairs. when they reached the front door of cheryl's apartment cheryl turned to face toni and held both of her hands in between them.

"can i pick you up for work tomorrow?"

"sure, if it's no problem."

"if it was a problem i wouldn't have offered."

"okay." cheryl said as she took a step forward. her eyes dropped to toni's lips as she licked her own. she leaned down the tiny distance and took toni's bottom lip between hers. she unlocked her fingers from toni's and placed them on her hips. she squeezed her waist and pulled toni's body against her as toni cupped her face and she breathed her in before moving her lips against hers.

she slid her hands around toni's lower back and lowered them so they were resting just above her backside, just itching to go lower. as the kiss progressed cheryl slipped her tongue into toni's mouth, the shorter woman accepting it gratefully. the kiss got deeper and toni tangled her fingers in cheryl's hair, and released a soft moan.

_fuck_ , that sound sent shivers down cheryl's spine and straight into her core. that's the first time she's heard toni moan while they were kissing and she definitely wanted to hear that sound again.

fuck it, she thought as she lowered her hands over toni's backside and rested them there. for a small girl toni was thick, and cheryl thought she had an amazing ass, has not been ashamed to stare at it when toni wasn't looking. but finally feeling it in her hands was unreal. it was shapely and plump, but more importantly, real. she's been with many women who've had butt injections, not that there's anything wrong with that, but something about feeling the natural plumpness in her hands did things to her. cheryl was definitely an ass person.

cheryl gave her backside a small squeeze causing her to release another moan into her mouth, which sent another bolt of lightning straight into her core. she needed to stop this soon, but she just couldn't.

she lowered her hands even further down to the back of her thighs and back up to her rear. their make out was heating up and cheryl knew she needed to stop this. toni moaned into cheryl's mouth again and the redhead was seconds away from slamming her into the wall.

she pulled away with a sharp breath and rested her forehead against toni's as the couple calmed their breathing.

"so uh," cheryl said barely above a whisper. "i'll see you tomorrow?"

"bright and early."

cheryl pulled back and placed a kiss in between her eye brows.

"goodnight babe."

"goodnight."

and cheryl disappeared into her apartment. she leaned her back against the closed door and leaned her head back against the door.

"everything alright?" veronica asked from the kitchen, causing cheryl to snap her head up on surprise.

"shit ronnie? what are you doing here i thought you had a date with josie?"

"i did, but she has to get up early for a meeting so i didn't spend the night. are you good?"

" _ugh_  no, i'm sexually frustrated."

"why didn't you just invite toni in?"

"because i... i'm not ready yet."

"ha! cheryl blossom not ready to have sex? that's  _funny_. now tell me the real reason."

cheryl rolled her eyes and just flicked veronica off before disappearing into her room. that  _was_  part of the reason why she didn't want to invite toni in. right now she wanted nothing more than to slam her into a wall and ravage her neck, but she didn't want to move too fast with toni. but, there was another reason why she was so hesitant to invite toni inside.

she quickly changed into more comfortable clothes and fell on her mattress with a huff, her core still aching. she closed her eyes and pushed her fingers into her panties and brought herself to a release with the thought of toni's lips on her mind, wishing they were toni's fingers.

-

toni and cheryl stood in the elevator, cheryl's eyes locked on the numbers as they rode up to the 21st floor. toni could literally feel the nervousness coming off her girlfriend.

"don't be nervous. it's just another day at work." toni said reaching over to take her hand.

"yeah but now you're not  _just_  my boss."

toni pulled cheryl by her arm and placed a chaste kiss to her lips.

"you're right. but as long as we get our work done, which i have doubt we'll be able to do, then everything will be fine. don't stress. people actually like you at topaz."

cheryl nodded confidently as the elevator dinged and the door opened. they stepped out, hands still clasped together, and made their way towards the front doors of topaz magazine. toni said good morning to the desk receptionist and she smiled which turned into a smirk as she noticed their joined hands.

they walked through the doors, about half the office already present and as they walked by the employees some people stared, some people smiled, and some people said hello. but so far no one seemed to have a problem or question it and that eased cheryl's nerves.

"well well well. what do we have here?" kevin said with a knowing smirk as he walked towards the couple with a bagel in his hand.

"good morning to you too kevin." toni said with a hint of sarcasm.

"by the way, loving this already."

"thanks, so am i." toni said giving cheryl the cutest smile ever.

cheryl almost rolled her eyes at herself. she had no idea why she was no nervous about being open at work. here toni was proudly holding her hand in the middle of the office and no one seemed to have a problem with it, so far at least.

when they arrived at cheryl's desk toni let go of her hand as she unlocked her office door. the two of them got settled in their respective offices before toni emerged from hers not even 30 seconds later.

"okay i'm heading to the meeting, if anyone calls let them know to call back anytime after 1. also, i need you to call and confirm those models for the july issue photo shoot."

"copy that boss." cheryl said with a playful wink.

"we should be done by 12 then we can go out for lunch, yeah?"

"i would love that."

"great."

"have a great meeting."

"i'll try." and cheryl watched her as she walk away, her eyes dropping to her backside, chuckling to herself before getting to work.

-

"alright meeting adjourned." toni said from the head of the long table in a conference like room. her employees rose from the table and left the office as josie made her way to her best friend, and soon they were the only two people in the room.

"so, i heard you and cheryl were holding hands in the office. you decided to be open at work?"

"yeah. this is my damn company and i can hold hands with my girlfriend if i very well please, and if anyone has a problem with it they can find somewhere else to work."

"wow. i'm impressed. i've never seen this side of you before." josie said crossing her arms and looking at her best friend in wonder.

"what do you mean?"

"caring this much about someone."

"what can i say? i'm crazy about her."

"so how's it going with you two?"

"so far it's been great. she's so amazing. but..."

"oh no, but what?"

"i don't know i just feel like she's holding back. like when i picked her up for both of our dates i had to wait outside for her, and i had to basically beg her just to let me walk her to her door afterwards. and last night, we were kissing and it was  _heated,_  and i thought it was going somewhere but then she pulled away and didn't even invite me in."

"well i mean it was only your what, second date?"

"how many dates before veronica invited you in?"

josie opened and closed her mouth and awkwardly scratched the back of her neck.

"exactly. why doesn't she wanna let me in?"

"i don't know toni. maybe she just doesn't want to move to fast?"

"yeah maybe... but  _God_ , i've wanted her for so long and it's been  _so long_ since i've, as fangs would say,  _gotten laid"_ she said doing her best impression of her brother.

"look just talk to her, you're in a relationship now."

"yeah you're right."

toni knew she needed to talk to cheryl about her hesitancy on letting her inside her place, but God, she and cheryl just got together, she didn't want to cause a conflict already. she was gonna bring it up at their lunch date on monday but they were having such a good time and so she didn't. she invited cheryl to dinner and planned on asking about it on tuesday but cheryl had to work at the bar, and on wednesday and on thursday. and she didn't want to ask her about in a loud bar full of people.

the week went by surprisingly fast, and as she and cheryl were eating lunch in her office on friday she finally decided it was now or never.

"hey babe?"

"hmm" cheryl responded as she took a bite of her sandwich.

"how come you haven't invited me in your place?"

cheryl stopped mid chew and slowly rose her eyes up to toni's. she most certainly was not expecting toni to ask that question. and she most certainly was not prepared to have this conversation.

"what?" was all she could muster up to say even though she heard the question perfectly clear.

"we've been going out for a week, i've taken you home from our dates and from work, i basically had to beg you to let me walk you to the door. but you haven't invited me inside. why?"

"i just-" cheryl stopped her self and covered her mouth with her fist to finish chewing before swallowing her food. "i wanna be completely honest with you."

"please, i want nothing less."

"i just don't wanna move to fast. i've never cared about someone this much before and i just- we have something amazing we don't need to rush this."

"i agree, but what does that have to do with me coming inside."

"you want complete honestly. i don't think i'll be able to control myself if i let you in."

"control yourself?" toni tilted her head with a raised eyebrow. she knew exactly what cheryl meant by control herself, she just wanted to hear her say it.

"toni. you do things to me. every time we kiss it feels like literal electricity running through my body, a feeling i've never felt before. if i let you in i'm afraid we would cross that line."

"but would it be so bad if we did?"

"you don't think it's too soon?"

toni reached across the table and placed her hand palm up on top of it and cheryl put her hand in hers.

"cher. i am  _so_  crazy about you. honestly head over heels for you. you don't think i feel the same thing when we kiss? you do things to me too. but, i understand if it's too soon to cross that line and i really don't mind waiting."

"there's..." cheryl trailed off looking down at their joined hands, taking in a shaky breath. "there's another reason why i'm so hesitant in letting you in."

toni rubbed her thumb over cheryl's knuckles reassuring her, letting her know she's listening.

"cher, what is it?"

"my place toni. it's small. and it's not like fancy."

"are you serious?" toni said in an offended tone. "do you really think i'm that shallow?"

"well..." cheryl trailed off and toni sighed.

"okay okay, i admit. i definitely understand why you would think that based off our first interaction. but cheryl, i'm not like that. at least not anymore. i don't give a fuck where you live or how big or fancy your apartment is, honestly. you're my girlfriend, and that place is your home. i just... you can let me in cheryl."

cheryl looked into toni's eyes as she spoke. she hasn't figured out toni's tell, how she knows she's lying yet, but could tell she was being completely honest. the sincerity in her voice, and the way her eyes never left hers, and the way she was squeezing her hand.

"God, you're right. you are so right. i definitely don't think of you that way anymore and, God, i don't know why i was thinking that, that was stupid."

"hey, nothing you ever feel is stupid. and i'm glad you told me the truth."

"wow we're really in a real ass relationship." cheryl said with a light chuckle, helping to lighten the mood.

"can i take you out to dinner tonight?"

"it's friday, don't you have dinner with josie and kevin."

"fuck them, they always ditch me for their boyfriend and girlfriend. let me take you to dinner tonight. please."

"it's a date."

-

as toni drove cheryl home once again, after an amazing dinner, she still had hope that she would be invited up, but no expectations. after her conversation with cheryl this afternoon she would be understanding if cheryl didn't let her in again.

she and cheryl got over their first speed bump, although small but a speed bump none the less. it was a tiny conflict that they easily talked through. and that gave her hope for the future. she knew they would have a fight eventually, all couples fight, it was inevitable, but she didn't doubt that they would be able to talk through it.

toni pulled into a parking space outside of cheryl's apartment. she removed her right hand from cheryl's to push the car off.

"can i-"

"yes, you can walk me up." cheryl said before toni could even finish her sentence. toni just smiled as the two exited the car and made their way into the apartment building.

when they reached the front door, cheryl turned to face toni. she wrapped her arms around toni's lower back and toni threw her arms over her shoulders and they closed the distance between them, only kissing three times before cheryl pulled away.

"toni?"

"yeah?"

"would you like to come inside."

toni's eyes went wide and she had to hide the the shock on her face, and stifle a grin.

"are you sure?"

"i'm positive."

this time toni didn't hide the grin that grew on her face.

"sure, i would love to."

cheryl gave her a smile and placed a chaste kiss to her lips before pulling her keys out of her purse. she unlocked the door and held it open, ushering toni to walk inside first. she stepped inside the apartment and quickly took in her surroundings. it was small but it was very homey. she noticed pictures of cheryl and veronica and sweet pea and reggie hanging on the wall. the cozy looking couch in the living room facing a flat screen tv, a coffee table in between the couch and tv that had cute little fake plants sitting on top, the kitchen which was basically spotless, and the large collection of empty alcoholic bottles sitting on top of the cabinets.

"so this is where ronnie and i live." cheryl said stepping behind toni and placing her hands on her shoulders.

"this place is really nice babe."

"really?" cheryl said as she trailed her hands down toni's arms and rested them on her waist.

"yes really. it's cozy, it's clean, it's beautiful."

"thank you." cheryl said into her ear before placing a kiss to her cheek and another to her jaw.

"and let me guess, that's your room." toni said motioning to the door with the large cursive ' _c'_ hanging on it.

"what gave that away?" cheryl giggled before placing another kiss to her jaw.

"is that where the magic happens?" toni said as she leaned back into cheryl.

"no real magic yet." cheryl said honestly. yes, she's had a lot of sex in that room, but it was meaningless, not magical. and sure with valerie it meant something, but she got more a spark from just kissing toni than she has from any of she and valerie's sexcapades.

"you're so beautiful." cheryl said as she trailed her lips from toni's jaw to her neck. this is the first time her lips have made contact with her neck, and her skin was  _so smooth_  and  _so soft_  and  _so warm._  she had to force herself to keep it slow and sweet.

toni placed her hands on top of cheryl's and intertwined their fingers before pulling cheryl's arms tighter around the front of her body. she leaned her head back against cheryl's shoulder giving her more access to her skin, and closed her eyes at the feeling cheryl's soft lips on her skin. she felt cheryl's tongue make contact with her skin before her lips were closing over the area and that sent a shudder down her spine.

toni turned in cheryl's arms and tangled her fingers in her hair as they closed the distance.

"do you... want some... coffee.... or something?" cheryl asked in between kisses.

"no." toni responded without hesitation.

cheryl lowered her hands to toni's backside as she started walking them backwards. when they reached the couch they sat down next to each other and broke apart to look into each other's eyes for few moments.

cheryl pushed toni's hair back with the back of her hand and wrapped her hand around the back of toni's neck and recaptured her lips.

their lips moves together, and their was tongue with every press and pull of their lips. toni moved her hands to hold cheryl's face, and cheryl's hand moved to rest on her outer thigh.

she moved her hand up and down her jean covered thigh, up over her hips around her backside and back down her thigh, continuing this motion and toni hummed into her mouth. cheryl responded with a groan and used her lips to push toni down on the couch.

when toni's back hit the soft cushion cheryl pulled away slowly and looked down into her eyes.

"this okay?" she asked barely above a whisper.

"yes." toni responded just as quiet with a nod. cheryl adjusted them so their legs were intertwined. and she leaned back down to capture toni's lips in a slower kiss as it gradually got more heated.

cheryl's left hand snaked through toni's hair as her right hand continued rubbing up and down toni's thigh. toni's hands dropped down to cheryl's back and she ran them down to the small of her back and rested them there.

cheryl moaned into toni's mouth after toni swirled her tongue around her own. she trailed her hand on her thigh higher and sneaked it under her shirt and rested her hand against the warm skin of toni's stomach. toni released a soft moan at the feeling of cheryl's hand on her skin, causing a warm tingling sensation to spread through her body.

cheryl dug her teeth into toni's bottom lip and pulled back before releasing it. toni grunted in approval, she  _loved_  when cheryl did that. cheryl dropped her lips to toni's neck, sucking lightly at the skin and occasionally nipping with her teeth. she trailed her lips up and down the column of her neck.

toni's body was on fire, the way cheryl was making her feel is like nothing she ever felt. it's been years since she's been touched and kissed like this and it was driving her crazy.

cheryl felt the same. she really didn't plan for the night to turn out like this, still wanting to wait a little longer before crossing that line. but  _fuck_ , toni felt so good underneath her. and the way she was kissing her and moaning was driving her mad. she was really holding herself back but she was minutes away from just saying fuck it.

she brought her lips back up to toni's in a deeper kiss, her hand under toni's shirt slowly creeping higher. toni lowered her hands over cheryl's backside and cheryl groaned and dug her nails into the skin over her ribcage.

it was getting really hot. and the kiss was growing more and more heated. both of them were thinking the same thing. they were about to cross that line, they were ready, their body's were more than ready, their most sensitive areas screaming to be touched.

suddenly the two of them froze when they heard the front door being unlocked. cheryl groaned in frustration and before she could hop off toni the door was opened and in walked veronica and josie mid laugh.

"oh shit what's going on here?" veronica said as she saw cheryl climb of toni and toni sit up to adjust her shirt.

"nothing now." cheryl mumbled.

"are we interrupting something?" josie asked with a smirk as the two of them walked further into the apartment.

"no, we were just uh..." toni started.

"talking." cheryl finished.

"hmm must've been a nice conversation. well don't mind us we'll give you two some privacy. we'll be in my room if you need anything." veronica said with a wiggle of her eyebrows as she pulled josie by her hand into her bedroom and closed the door behind them.

"i'm so sorry, i thought for sure they'd be at josie's tonight." cheryl said apologetically.

"that's okay. as amazing as this was starting to get i think i'm gonna head home."

"i'll walk you to the door." cheryl said as the two of them stood from the couch made their way to the front door.

"thank you so much for an amazing night, and for inviting me inside. hopefully next time we won't be interrupted."

"yeah hopefully. and sorry for being so hesitant about it before."

"hey, no need to apologize." toni said tucking a lock of hair behind cheryl's ear.

"goodnight baby."

"goodnight babe."

cheryl pulled toni by her waist and placed on soft single kiss to her lips, letting it linger for a bit before they pulled away and she opened the door for her.

"text me when you get home."

"i will." and with that toni left the apartment and disappeared down the hall. cheryl shut the door and she heard veronica's door open. she rolled her eyes when she saw her step outside already half naked, wearing nothing but underwear and a tank top.

"hey toni left?"

"yeah, cause you two interrupted us. i thought you'd be at josie's tonight."

"well our place was closer to where we had dinner. i'm sorry for interrupting you two."

"no it's fine, i wasn't being serious. it's honestly for the better. i still wanna wait just a little longer."

veronica just nodded as she opened the door to the refrigerator and took out a can of ready whip.

" _God_ , you two are nasty."

veronica shot her the middle finger and cheryl laughed in response as they went into their separate bedrooms.

-

toni's entire body felt on fire as she drove home. she wanted nothing more than to stay at cheryl's and finish what they started, hopefully in her bedroom. but she knew that cheryl wanted to wait a little longer so she forced herself to leave.

when she arrived home she sent cheryl a text letting her know she made it back. after cheryl responded saying she was glad she made it back safe and goodnight, toni changed into her pajamas and flopped onto her bed with a huff, her core still aching. she closed her eyes and pushed her fingers into her panties and brought herself to a release with the thought of cheryl's lips on her mind and the lingering feeling of her hands on her body, wishing they were cheryl's fingers.  
  
  


 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> things are heating up, they're heating up ;)
> 
> until next time!


	11. we can skip the pajamas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the title is kind of a giveaway... the long awaited smut... whew it's been so long since i've written any smut i almost forgot how lmao but enjoy cause this chapter is like 50% that. 
> 
> catch me on twitter @cheryltoepaz

"cheryl may i see you in my office please?" toni said into the phone on her desk.

" _be there in a sec."_  cheryl's voice came through the speaker.

it's been two weeks since cheryl invited toni into her apartment and things between them have been heating up. they haven't crossed that line yet, but it's been killing them. neither of them know how much longer their gonna be able to wait.

it's mostly cheryl really who puts a stop to their heated makeouts, not quite ready yet. but they're growing in their relationship and she's been thinking about it a lot. like,  _a lot._ and her mind and her body are telling her that maybe she's ready to take that step with toni. plus this is the longest she has ever gone without sex and her body is screaming for release.

cheryl walked through toni's office and a shudder went down her spine when she saw  _that look_ on toni's face.

_this definitely isn't about work._

"close the door please." cheryl did as she was told and once the door was shut she made her way over to her girlfriend, matching the look on her face.

toni pushed herself away from her desk as cheryl made her way around her desk and straddled her lap. cheryl cupped her cheeks and leaned down to capture her lips, digging her teeth into her bottom lip and slipping her tongue past them to be met with toni's.

toni placed her hands on cheryl's outer thighs, squeezing them over her black and white polka dotted dress pants. God, she wishes cheryl wore a skirt today. she slid her hands up her thighs and rested them on her hips. she squeezed her hips and pulled her body closer as cheryl tangled her fingers in toni's hair.

"we're gonna get caught one of these days." cheryl whispered against toni's lips.

"we can stop right now, if you want?"

cheryl answered by digging her teeth into toni's bottom lip and pulled it back. toni grunted as she released it and cheryl trailed her lips down toni's jaw to her neck. she removed a hand from toni's hair and wrapped it around the side of her neck. she placed her thumb under her chin and pushed her head back to give herself more access to toni's neck.

" _fuck_  you smell so good." cheryl breathes against toni's neck. toni sneaked her fingers under cheryl's while blouse and slid her hand up her bare back and underneath her bra strap.

cheryl sucked on her pulse point, something she learned drove her crazy, and toni couldn't help but release a moan.

"toni." cheryl said in a warning tone after pulling her lips away from her neck and sitting up to look in her eyes.

"sorry, you do it to me."

cheryl's lips curled into a smirk and she leaned back down for a softer slower kiss before pulling away.

"you have beautiful eyes." toni whispered as she curled her hair behind her ears and wrapped her hands around her neck and pulled her back down. their lips moved together as toni slid her hands back down cheryl's back.

toni sucked on cheryl's bottom lip, causing her to grunt quietly in appreciation, before pulling away and trailing her lips down her jaw to the column of her neck.

cheryl leaned her head back to give her more access and tangled her fingers back through toni's hair.

toni dropped her hands lower over cheryl's backside before sliding back up her back. toni brought a hand up to cheryl's shoulder and curled her fingers into the neckline of her blouse and pulled it to the side to expose her shoulder. she placed open mouth kisses to the newly exposed skin before trailing back up to her neck, over her jaw to her chin and back up to her lips, sliding her tongue past cheryl's lips to curl around hers.

toni could feel cheryl slowing their kisses down and she knew this rendezvous was coming to an end. toni presses one more firm kiss to her lips before pulling away with a loud smack and resting her forehead against cheryl's as their breathing gradually regulated.

"hey cher?" toni asked and cheryl pulled back to look at her properly.

"hmm?"

"this saturday there's this banquet, honoring some of writers and people who run magazines, it's really formal. and i was wondering if you'd be my date."

"i would be honored." cheryl responded placing a light kiss to her lips to seal it.

"and i was wondering, maybe, if- afterwards if you'd like to come back to my place? for the night?" toni asked nervously, her eyes dropping and her hands fiddling with the hem of cheryl's blouse.

"toni." cheryl said cupping her cheeks and forcing her to look back up at her.

"i would love to."

"really?"

"yeah." cheryl said softly with a nod. she leaned forward and captured toni's lips again, this time their lips moving together languidly.

cheryl was ready.

toni was more than ready.

they were ready.

-

"bitch i'm freaking out!" cheryl said to veronica as she walked behind the bar on thursday evening. she tied her apron around her waist and leaned her hand on the bar.

"why?"

"so toni invited me to this banquet on saturday-"

"oh yeah josie invited me too."

"yeah and she asked me if afterwards i wanted to go to her place... to stay the night..."

"oh...  _oh_. finally gonna...  _bow chica wow wow._ " veronica sang as she thrusted her hips forward rhythmically.

"i literally hate you." cheryl rolled her eyes.

"so why are you freaking out? it's not like it's your first time."

"yeah but it's  _our_  first time."

"cheryl you're basically like a goddess when it comes to sex. you know our walls aren't all that thick."

"yeah but toni isn't just some girl v. she's my girlfriend and i- i really like her. like,  _really_  like her."

"well how was it when you slept with valerie? i mean she wasn't just some girl either. or was she?"

"no, i actually did have feeling for valerie but it still felt like it was just routine to me. i want my first time with toni and every time after that to be... ya know... special."

"wow she must really be special to you. toni topaz turned you soft. she's even got you nervous about sex." veronica said with a chuckle.

"she's everything to me."

"well then don't stress. if she's everything to you then the sex will be special regardless."

"you know i'm not the only one whose girlfriend turned them soft." chery said nudging her best friend with her elbow, the both of them laughing.

"yeah yeah yeah."

-

toni and josie were seated at a table in their favorite restaurant. seeing as both of their girlfriends had to work they decided to get back to their friday dinner tradition.

"are you excited for the banquet tomorrow, you're a nominated woman." josie said wiggling her eyebrows.

"please i doubt i'll win. but i am really excited for saturday, but for another reason."

"oh?"

"well not only is my girl gonna escort me for the night, but afterwards i uh... invited her back to mine." toni couldn't even hide the smile that grew on her face, and the rosiness that creeped up on her cheeks.

" _oh?"_

"yeah, i think tomorrow is the night."

"well it's about damn time."

"i'll drink to that." toni said raising her glass of wine with a smirk and clinked it against josie's.

"are you nervous?"

"i mean it's been a long tome since i've had sex and even longer since i've had sex with a woman. but i'm more excited than anything. i just can't wait to explore my girlfriends body for the first time. it's been heating up between us and just building and building and building, and i believe we're finally ready to cross that line."

"well, to you finally getting laid." josie said raising her glass back in the air.

"God, can you and fangs stop saying that." toni said while rolling her eyes.

"after tomorrow we will."

-

there was a knock on the door and veronica, dressed in a velvet black dress, sleeves hanging of the shoulders with silver jewelry and heels, hair curled to perfection, opened the door, stepping to the side to allow her girlfriend and toni to enter.

"hey baby. you look amazing." josie said

"as do you my love." veronica said, leaning in to place a gentle kiss to josie's lips as to not mess up their makeup. josie was wearing a navy blue spaghetti strapped gown with a slit going up the left leg. her hair was pulled back into a neat bun.

"toni, you look dashing as well."

toni was wearing a black dress, silver straps going down her side and her back completely exposed. her hair was pinned to the side and cascaded over her shoulder in perfect waves.

"thank you veronica, so do you."

"cheryl's almost ready by the way." veronica informed as the three of them sat on the edge of couch.

"no rush, we still have plenty of time." toni responded.

a few minutes later cheryl's bedroom door was opened and the redhead stepped out. toni turned her head to watch her girlfriend emerge from her bedroom and it was as if the wind was knocked out of her chest.

cheryl was wearing a long red dress, one strap going over her left shoulder the other completely exposed. it was tight and hugged her curves graciously, a slit going up her right leg that toni's eyes followed all the way down to her gold heels and back up. her hair was completely straight and parted in the middle. but what really stuck out to toni the most was her bold red lips.

"wow." toni breathed out as she stood from the couch and made her way towards her girlfriend. "baby you look... breathtaking."

cheryl dug her teeth into her bottom lip as her eyes scanned her girlfriend.

"God babe so do you. you look so fucking beautiful."

they both stepped closer to each other. cheryl walked her fingers around toni's waist and rested them on her lower back. toni slid her hands up cheryl's arms and rested them on her shoulders. they leaned in, meeting half way, and pressed their lips together softly, letting it linger as cheryl's fingers gently scratched at the exposed skin of the small of her back.

"get a room." veronica and josie said in unison as they stood from the couch.

"i hate our friends." toni whispered.

"me too."

"alright let's get going." josie said as she clapped her hands and the four of them left the apartment, walked outside and to their separate cars.

the entire drive over there was a comfortable silence between cheryl and toni. the both of them snuck glances at each other as cheryl played with toni's fingers in her lap.

when they reached the venue they stepped out of the car, men wearing white button ups and red vests and bow ties opened the doors for them. toni tossed the keys to the man on her side and took the numbered card from him. josie and veronica right behind them doing the same.

the two couples walked inside side by side, hands intertwined between them as they walked into the foyer of the building and up to a hostess table.

"good evening ladies. you all look lovely. names?" the lady at the table asked.

"toni topaz and josie mccoy." toni answered and the lady looked down at a piece of paper that sat on top of the red clothed table.

"the both of you and your guests will be at table three. enjoy your evening and good luck on your nomination miss topaz."

toni thanked her as they walked into the main hall. it was scattered with circled tables and an open area in the center in front of the stage. they walked around the tables until the saw a card with a number three on it. they made their way to the table and found their names on cards in front of their seat. toni smiled when she saw her name and underneath said  _nominee_.

"you and toni got full names and mine just says mccoy guest." veronica whined as they sat down at the formally set table, covered in a red table cloth.

"i got topaz guest." cheryl added.

"well you are our guests." toni says a matter of factly.

"yeah well they couldn't have put lodge or something."

"baby, stop whining and just have a good time." josie said placing her hand on veronica's knee. veronica nodded and leaned forward to kiss josie chastely.

"whipped." cheryl said with a chuckle and veronica shot her the middle finger.

about 10 minutes later a guy dressed in a very sharp navy blue suit walked onto the stage to start the event. he gave a short welcome speech before the food was served. salads first and then the entree. when the plates were cleared people reached for their desserts. every other person had a different dessert. either yellow cake with white icing, or a chocolate cake with chocolate icing.

"do you want vanilla or chocolate?" toni asked. cheryl flicked her eyes down to toni's lips only for a second but long enough, and close enough, for toni to notice.

"definitely chocolate."

after each taking a few bites of the fluffy and delicious dessert toni looked over at cheryl's plate curiously.

"is the chocolate good?"

"try for yourself." cheryl cut a piece of the cake and brought the fork up to toni's mouth. toni closed her lips over the fork and pulled her head back away from the fork slowly, keeping her eyes locked on cheryl's. she licked her lips catching a few chocolate crumbs that were left there, and cheryl's heart raced at the action. how could something so simple turn her on.

"that's amazing. you wanna try?" toni asked and cheryl nodded. toni cut a piece of her vanilla cake and much like cheryl just did she brought the fork up to her lips, feeding her the piece.

"good?" toni asked and cheryl nodded as she chewed and swallowed the cake.

"hold on you got a-" toni brought her hand up to cheryl's lips and she parted them as toni gently swiped her thumb across her bottom lip to collect some icing before putting her thumb in her mouth and sucking it off.

_fuck._

cheryl was nervous before but now she couldn't wait for this night to be over. toni was doing things to her and she wanted her so bad.

about an hour passes by and they are now giving the awards. so far two employees from topaz magazine have won awards, including best column and best layout. toni's award hasn't been presented yet but it's one of the biggest of the night so it'll probably be at the end.

"baby, relax." cheryl whispered into her ear at the feeling of toni squeezing the life out of her hand.

"sorry, i'm nervous, my category is coming up." she whispered back.

"and now, the category for best chief editor." the mc stated as he read from a small card. "the nominees are, eric baldwin from 21 magazine, julia james from real world magazine, and toni topaz from topaz magazine. and your winner is..."

toni squeezed cheryl's hand tighter and she allowed it, squeezing back reassuringly. her heart was racing and the anticipation was killing her. she tried to keep her hopes at a normal level but the closer they got to the award the higher they rose.

"toni topaz from topaz magazine."

cheryl cheered as shock struck toni's face followed by a wide smile. she stood up pulling cheryl with her and wrapped her in a tight embrace, as the audience continued to applaud.

"i'm so proud of you. you deserve it." cheryl said into her ear. toni pulled back and cupped her cheeks and pulled her in a for a chaste kiss before making her way to the stage. she grabbed the award form the mc and stood behind the podium as the applause fizzled out.

"wow, this is unbelievable. thank you so much. first i wanna thank everyone from topaz magazine who is present tonight. thank you to my best friend josie, who has been with me since topaz magazine was just an idea. thanks to my parents and my brother for always believing in my dreams. and last but not least, i want to thank the most important person in my life. the girl who makes me smile. the girl who has completely changed my life for the better. my beautiful girlfriend cheryl blossom. thank you." toni finished and walked off the stage back to her table, giving josie and veronica a hug before sitting down and setting the award on the table. she leaned over to give cheryl another chaste kiss.

"your speech was beautiful baby." cheryl smiled, nothing but pride in her eyes as she looked at her girlfriend.

"thank you."

when the award ceremony was over, couples crowded the dance the floor. cheryl and toni had their arms wrapped around each other's as they swayed to the soft jazz music, josie and veronica right next to them in their own world.

"you look so beautiful tonight." cheryl whispered, her face a few inches away from toni's.

"so do you,  _God_ you're gorgeous."

they met halfway for another kiss.

"and congrats again on your award babe, you've worked so hard, nobody deserved it more than you."

"thank you baby. but i've already won when i got you."

another kiss.

"please, i'm the real winner."

another kiss.

they pulled back and stared into each other's eyes and the world around them seemed to disappear. both of their eyes were so soft. toni scratched the back of cheryl's neck and cheryl's hands creeped a little lower down her back.

"so... not to sound cheesy but... do you wanna get out of here?" toni asked barely above a whisper.

cheryl leaned down for another kiss letting it linger just a bit as she nodded against her lips before pulling away.

toni grabbed cheryl's hand and intertwined their fingers before tapping on josie's shoulder to get her attention.

"hey we're gonna head out."

"ohhh have a great night you two." josie said with a smirk.

"yeah don't stay up too late." veronica added, wiggling her eyebrows.

"oh my God. goodnight." cheryl said before pulling toni off the dance floor.

"i really hate our best friends." cheryl said as the couple walked towards the exit.

"me too."

-

toni drove through the gate after being buzzed in by martin, and she drove up the long driveway towards her home. she sneaked a look at cheryl, whose eyes are wide as she takes in the exterior of toni's mansion.

"wow." she breathed out.

toni pulled the car up the curved driveway and parked in front of the front doors. she and cheryl get out, cheryl's eyes still wide and focused on the house that she doesn't even notice one of the staff members coming outside to move to the car to the garage. toni grabbed cheryl's hand, bringing her back to reality as they walk towards the already opened front door.

"good evening toni." martin says as they walk into the foyer, cheryl eyes immediately drawing up to the crystal chandelier. "how was your evening?"

"it was very lovely. i won." toni said as she held up her award and martin took it out of her hands.

"i'll place it on the mantel. and you must be cheryl." martin says causing her to snap her attention to him.

"yes martin, i'd like to officially introduce you to my girlfriend cheryl. cheryl this is martin."

"it's so nice to officially meet you cheryl, i've heard so much about you." he said extending his hand and shaking cheryl's as she placed her hand in his.

"you as well. and all good things i hope."

"there are only good things to say about you." toni said with a cheeky smile.

"well i will let you two enjoy your night. i have already placed a pair of pajamas on your bed for cheryl as well as an extra set of towels."

"thank you so much martin." the man saluted before disappearing down the hall. "would you like a tour before we head to my room?"

cheryl nodded eagerly and toni placed her hand on her shoulder to steady herself as she raised her right leg to unclip her heel, followed by her left. cheryl did the same thing, the both of them leaving their shoes in the foyer before toni took her hand and walked her around her home.

cheryl knew toni was rich and she imagined that her house was big but she didn't expect it to be  _this_  big. it took a while to walk through toni's entire house, but cheryl wasn't complaining at all. toni's home was beautiful, their was art everywhere and every room was furnished beautifully, every piece of furniture the same color code. cheryl learned that toni picked out every piece of furniture in this entire home as well as the art. cheryl made a joke about how she could be an interior designer and toni just laughed as she agreed.

cheryl's favorite part had to be the backyard patio that over looked her backyard, her colorful garden  and her swimming pool. the stairs curving down on either side to the ground level.

"so you have all these bedrooms and it's just you?" cheryl asked as they walked down a hall upstairs.

"well martin lives here too, and fangs might as well live here, some times he a joaquin spend the night. and when my family comes to visit for holidays they don't have to stay at a hotel."

"well, that makes sense."

"alright and our last stop for the night." toni said as she stopped in front of a pair of double doors.

"oh is this where the magic happens?" cheryl asked jokingly.

"hopefully." toni pushed the doors open and cheryl follows her inside, her jaw basically dropping to the floor as she steps into the quite spacious master bedroom. her room was probably as big as cheryl's entire apartment. it looked straight out of a catalog. a king sized bed sat in the middle of the wall enough room to fit another king sized bed right in front of it between the opposite wall the bed was facing. there was a large tv screen mounted on the wall. towards the back of the room there was a black velvet couch and two matching arm chairs facing a small glass coffee table. the was another set of double doors that led out to a balcony.

"come on let me show you the rest." toni pulled cheryl by her wrist into her en suite.

cheryl's jaw dropped for the tenth time as she stepped into the bathroom. the first thing she noticed was the marble floor, then the bathtub jacuzzi, then the standing shower that looked big enough to fit 10 people, then the walk in closet, then the vanity with his and hers sinks, the marble matching the marble on the floor. after admiring the master bathroom cheryl followed toni back out into the bedroom.

"so this is where i live."

"toni, your home is...  _beautiful."_

"thank you. well uh, there's pajamas laid out for you on the bed, and i can just change in the bathroom if you want to get more comfortable."

cheryl just stared at toni and tilted her head as she looked at her girlfriend with soft eyes with just a hint of lust behind them.

"unless... you don't want the pajamas?" toni asked, her breath hitching as cheryl took a step closer.

"do you want the pajamas?" cheryl asked lowly as she rubbed her fingers down toni's arms. she bit her lip when she noticed toni's eyes drop to them.

"we can skip the pajamas." toni whispered.

cheryl gripped toni's waist and pulled her body against hers as they closed the distance in a soft kiss, lips just brushing against each other's.

the kiss started out soft, just gentle repetitive pecks as their hands got situated on each other's bodies. toni wrapped her hands around cheryl's neck as cheryl places her hands on toni's outer thighs.

cheryl was the first to deepen the kiss and she closed toni's bottom lip between her own as their lips pressed and pulled together, lips smacking with every pull.

cheryl trailed her hands higher up toni's outer thighs over her hips and around to rest just above her rear and pulled her even closer. cheryl flicked her tongue over toni's top lip, pulling away just a hair and tilting her head before diving back in to a more intimate kiss, sliding her tongue past toni's lips.

cheryl lowered her hands over toni's back side and squeezed greedily, palming and groping over the thin material of her dress. oh how she couldn't wait to grab the bare flesh.

toni groaned into her mouth and pushed even deeper into the kiss as her hands tangled in cheryl's hair.

the kiss was growing more and more heated with every smack of the lips, and every moan that escaped their mouths. and this time, instead of cheryl purposefully slowing the kisses down, they kept going. tonight they weren't stopping this.

"toni?" she whispered as she pulled away and started trailing open mouthed kisses down her jaw to her neck.

"hmm." she replied and one hand cupped her neck and the other trailed down her back.

"i want you." cheryl mumbled into her pulse point and she literally felt the shiver that ran down toni's body.

toni didn't even know what to say or how to respond, it's like her brain was slowly shutting down while her body was becoming over heated. but all she knew is that she wanted cheryl as close as possible. she responded by digging her nails into her skin and moaning into her shoulder.

cheryl licked a line from her neck up to her ear and sucked her earlobe in between her lips before digging her teeth into it and pulling back.

toni whimpered as her eyes rolled into the back of her head. they barely started and she was already losing it. she knew she was done for.

cheryl pulled back and rested her forehead against toni's as she slowly trailed her fingers up her exposed back, leaving a trail a goosebumps behind, despite how hot she felt.

cheryl nudged her nose against toni's and placed a soft peck to her lips before pulling back to look into her eyes. both of their breaths hitched at the look they were giving each other. eyes soft with want and dark with need.

cheryl curled her fingers under the straps around her shoulders.

"may i?" cheryl whispered.

"please." toni whispered back with a nod of her head.

slowly, almost torturously slow, cheryl pulled her straps down her arms, the dress falling down her body as she did, slowly, inch by inch until the dress pooled by her feet. the only thing left on toni's body was her panties. her girlfriend was the most exposed she's ever been, right here in front of her, but not once has cheryl strayed her eyes away from toni's eyes.

toni slid her hand up and down cheryl's back in search for her zipper. when she didn't feel it she trailed her hands up and down her sides until she felt the little piece of metal on her right side.

"may i?" toni repeated.

"please."

keeping her eyes locked on cheryl's she slowly slid the zipper down her side until she reached the bottom just below her hip. she pulled the strap over her left shoulder down her arm and pushed it down her waist until it dropped to the floor.

just like toni, the only thing cheryl was left in was her panties and just like cheryl toni kept her eyes on her. they were both almost completely naked in front of each other and neither of them have dared to look down yet.

cheryl stepped out of her dress that was pooled at her feet and kicked it to the side as she stepped closer to toni, the shorter woman doing the same.

"may i?" cheryl asked and toni didn't even know what she was asking for but nodded with a yes anyway. a shiver ran down toni's spine when cheryl's eyes dropped down to her exposed chest. and scanned the rest of her nearly naked body.

cheryl licked her lips and dug her teeth into her bottom lip and she released a breath she didn't even know she was holding.

"you're so fucking beautiful." she whispered as her eyes came back up to toni's. "and before you ask, yes."

toni's lips curled into a smile as she dropped her eyes to cheryl's body, taking her time to scan every inch of her.

"holy shit. you're... flawless."

cheryl took a step forward and gently gripped toni's chin, raising her head to look at her. she dragged her hands down toni's back and she reached her waist she pulled her body flush against hers. they both released slow breaths at the feeling of this much skin connecting for the first time.

they stared into each other's eyes as their hands explored each other backs, fingertips trailing up and down smooth skin.

this was the softest, most intimate thing cheryl has ever done and her stomach felt tingly, her heart felt warm and was core was throbbing with need.

cheryl closed the distance and captured her lips again, starting soft at first but quickly growing heated. cheryl lowered her hands, inching down slowly, over her backside. finally feeling the skin of her rear sent a surge of lighting through her body. she moaned into toni's mouth and she palmed the bare flesh.

toni removed her hands from her back and wrapped them around her shoulders. their kisses became desperate as they moaned and whimpered into each other's mouths.

cheryl lowered her hands even further down to the back of toni's thighs. she squatted down a little and gripped her thighs before lifting her in the air. toni yelped in surprise before wrapping her legs around her waist.

cheryl removed her lips from toni's and attached them to her neck, sucking on the base of her neck as she walked over to toni's bed. her eyes fluttered open every other second to see where she was going and when she reached the bed she crawled on top of it and gently laid toni down in the center of it and settled her body of top of her.

"this okay?" cheryl asked.

"yes."

cheryl placed a soft kiss to toni's nose before dropping her lips to hers, kissing her with so much passion that has toni pulling her by her back, trying to get her impossibly closer.

instead of falling into routine, cheryl took her time exploring toni's body. and she actually listened and pay attention to her body's reactions. she trailed her lips down to her neck and spent a little more time sucking on her pulse point when she heard her moan. trailing lower, she nipped at her collar bone a few times when she heard her breath hitch. trailing lower, she swirled her tongue through the valley of her breasts a little longer when she felt finger nails dig into her back.

as she placed kisses all around her chest she brought her hands up to palm toni's breasts and squeezed the rounds when toni arched up into her touch. cheryl moaned into her chest when she felt her nipples harden in her palms.

cheryl kissed her way down and removed one hand from her breast and circled her tongue around perked bud.

"fuck." toni breathed out, throwing her head back into the mattress.

that's the first time cheryl's made her curse in a sexual situation. she smirked as she wrapped her lips around her nipple and sucked and occasionally nipped on it.

toni released a moan as she tangled her fingers into cheryl's hair and pushed her closer.

cheryl was listening and paying attention to everything. she took her time just basking in the sounds toni was making.

after a while she switched to pay attention to the other for a while before trailing her lips lower. she kissed and ghosted her lips over toni's taut stomach. she nipped on the skin over her rib cage. she places a kiss to her hip bone and dragged her tongue to the other side just above her panty line and pressed a kiss to her other hip bone.

cheryl sat up on her knees and and curled her fingers into the hem of toni's panties.

"may i?"

toni nodded and cheryl slowly slid her panties down her legs. once they were off her ankles she discarded them to the foot of her bed. her breath hitched as she finally took in all of toni. she lifted her eyes up to toni's, looking at her with a mix a pure adoration and lust. she rubbed her hands up the top of toni's thighs and spread her legs apart before settling between them.

"just beautiful." cheryl whispered, more to herself than toni. she placed soft kisses up her inner thigh. inching closer and closer to where toni  _needs_  her. she got so close and toni gripped her bedsheets in preparation, but cheryl ghosted her lips past her waiting center, blowing cool air over her wetness before placing kisses to her other inner thigh. toni whimpered in frustration and cheryl just smirked against her skin.

cheryl trailed her lips higher and higher until she was a mere inch away from where toni was inwardly screaming for her to be. cheryl sucked on the skin of her inner thigh, digging her teeth in and lathing her tongue over it before sucking again until toni was bucking her hips up, just searching for any kind of friction.

figuring she's teased enough, she finally placed her head at her center. the anticipation was building and cheryl wanted nothing more than to just dive straight in and bury her face in her heat, but she restrained herself.

she used her thumbs to spread toni's folds and she parted her lips and stuck her tongue out, the tip dragging through them.

_fuck._

toni released a high pitch moan at the feeling and cheryl groaned in approval at the taste.

toni knows about cheryl past. she knows that cheryl has been with a lot of women. she knows that cheryl has partook in many sexual activities. but  _nothing_  could have prepared her for how  _fucking good_  this felt. cheryl just started and toni is already pulling at the sheets and arching her back in the air.

cheryl's tongue expertly moved through her, seemingly already knowing all the right spots that drive toni crazy.

toni is loud, and cheryl absolutely loves it. it's music to her ears. when cheryl wraps her lips around toni's clit she cries out and her hips buck up into her face. cheryl grunts and pushes her hips back down into the bed.

" _cheryl_... cheryl  _fuck_."

toni's body is on fire. she's panting, and her eyes roll in the back of her head. she had a feeling she was not gonna last long as she can already feel that buildup in the pit her stomach growing.

cheryl can tell toni is close. she knows the signs. her legs are twitching, her stomach is pulled tight, her moans are more frequent, almost like whimpers and she's gripping the bedsheets for dear life.

"baby, let go." cheryl whispers before flattening her tongue and rubbing it faster and harsher over her clit. cheryl reaches blindly for toni's hands and intertwines their fingers, allowing toni to buck her hips up into her mouth freely.

toni chokes on a cry as she cums. she digs her fingernails into the backs of cheryl's hands and arches her back off the bed as she bucks her hips up un-rhythmically.

cheryl circles her clit a few times before wrapping her lips around the sensitive bundle of nerves and sucks softly to help her ride out her high.

"fuck." toni breathed out once she came down.

cheryl trailed her lips up toni's stomach in a straight line, through the valley of her breasts up the side of her neck, across her jaw and to toni's lips. she slipped her tongue past her lips to share her taste and toni hummed in appreciation as she tangled her fingers into cheryl's hair.

as they kissed cheryl slowly trailed her hand down toni's side. she gripped the back of her thigh and wrapped it around her waist as she trailed her lips back down to toni's neck.

"you taste phenomenal." cheryl growled into her ear sending shivers down toni's body.

she wasn't lying. toni's taste was the best she's ever had. toni also felt the best, and made the best sounds. toni also made cheryl feel the best while making her feel good. tasting her girlfriend for the first time and making her cum for the first time, drove her absolutely crazy.

cheryl sucked harshly on toni's neck, unable to help herself. she dug her teeth into her skin and toni whimpered and dug her nails into her shoulder blades.

"i'm i being too rough?" cheryl whispered into toni's ear.

"no. don't stop." toni breathed out and cheryl didn't hesitate to attach her lips back to the column of her neck. cheryl never left hickeys on her past partners, but this time she couldn't help it. toni's skin felt so good on her lips she couldn't stop. she finally willed herself to pull away and placed a sweet peck to the mark she left behind.

she found toni's lips again as she moved her hand to the front of toni's body and down. toni moaned loudly into her mouth as cheryl rubbed her still sensitive clit with the pads of her pointer and middle finger.

toni curled her hands around the back of cheryl's shoulders and wrapped her legs around cheryl's waist and crossed her heels and rested them on her backside.

cheryl started moving her fingers faster and pressed harder on her clit.

"cheryl... i need..."

"what do you need babygirl?"

the pet name sent another shudder down toni's body and cheryl made sure to store that information in the front of her brain.

"i need you inside... please..."

cheryl did as she was asked and lowered her fingers through her folds. she teasingly circled her entrance a few times before sliding her pointer finger into her heat.

_fuck she feels so good._

cheryl kissed her harder as she slowly slid her finger down to the knuckle before pulling it back out just as slow. the next thrust she added her middle finger and she slowly slid her two fingers in and out of toni, familiarizing herself with her insides.

if cheryl didn't already know it's been years since toni has had sex she would've known by the way her walls were squeezing her fingers. gradually, cheryl sped up her thrusts. toni was no longer able to kiss her back as she parted her lips and released moan after moan. cheryl just rested her forehead against hers as she moved her fingers in and out. it sounded as wet as it felt.

she felt her walls start to pulsate and she searched for her spot, twisting and curling her fingers experimentally. she knew she found it when toni bucked her hips up and released a filthy moan as she dug her fingers into shoulders.

cheryl pressed into that spot on every thrust until toni's legs were shaking.

" _cheryl_." she whined as she raised her head up to hide her face in the crook of cheryl's neck.

cheryl pressed her thumb into toni's clit and rubbed in firm circles and toni threw her head back into the pillow.

"fuck cher-  _fuck."_

"cum for me." cheryl whispered and with one more press to her clit toni fell hard over the edge. her body was shaking, her hips were thrashing, and she moaned and panted uncontrollably as her orgasm rippled through her body.

cheryl kept thrusting her fingers but slowed down her movements to help toni ride out her second high, stronger than the last one.

when she came down and her body and legs fell back onto the bed, the two just laid there, cheryl's forehead still resting against toni's, and her fingers still inside her as their breathing started to calmed down.

cheryl pressed a kiss to her cheek as she slowly pulled her fingers out. toni whimpered half from sensitivity, half from the lost, but she was spent.

cheryl leaned up on her hand as she stuck her fingers in her mouth to suck off toni's arousal before laying back down on her, up on her elbows.

she dropped her lips to toni's and they kissed languidly for a few moments as cheryl raked her fingers through her hair.

"wow." toni said when they pulled away.

"yeah?"

"that was... indescribable... and you... you are... unbelievable." toni said as she trailed her fingers up and down cheryl's back.

"and  _you_... you look so beautiful when you cum."

blush creeped up on toni's cheeks as she rolled her eyes with a chuckle and leaned up to take cheryl's lips.

cheryl already knew she wasn't going to be able to get enough of her girlfriend. cheryl knew she was a goner and she also knew she didn't want to please anyone else... ever.

the kiss progressed and toni slid her tongue across cheryl's bottom lip before slipping in her mouth and it started to heat up again.

cheryl gripped the back of toni's thighs and wrapped them around her waist before sliding her arms under toni and wrapping them around her back. she flipped them over so toni was on top.

cheryl was hardly ever one to be on her back but the feeling of toni on top of her and the way she was looking down at her, she wouldn't mind it.

"may i?" toni asked.

"please."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next update tomorrow :))


	12. we can skip the pajamas pt 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is a short chapter but still important. it’s the smut continuation from last chapter. don't be fooled, this is a role reversal and toni is still a bottom in this fic. this is probably the most she will dominate.
> 
> enjoy and catch me on twitter @cheryltoepaz

"may i?" toni asked.

 

"please."

 

toni repositioned herself so she was laying between cheryl's legs.

 

“you know it’s been a while so i might be a little out of practice” toni said jokingly.

 

“shut up and kiss me.” cheryl rolled her eyes with a chuckle and toni dropped her lips to hers messily, sucking on her bottom lip. she flicked her tongue over cheryl's top lip and trailed her lips down her jaw, occasionally nipping at the skin until she reached her neck.

 

just like cheryl learned her weak spot is her pulse point, toni learned that cheryl's weak spot is the area just below her ear. toni placed open mouthed kisses up and down the column of her neck, her tongue making contact before her lips wrap around the area of skin. she trailed her lips higher until she reached cheryl's spot and she sucked and nipped at the area, occasionally taking her earlobe in her mouth.

 

the moan cheryl released was music to toni's ears and she would do anything to hear that sound on a loop.

 

cheryl threw her head back to give her girlfriend more access as she dragged her hands down toni's back over her backside and just rested her hands there. God, she loved her ass so much.

 

as toni sucked on cheryl's spot she brought her hands up to cup her breasts, squeezing them in rhythm with her lips kissing her neck.

 

"toni." cheryl hummed as she arched up into her touch, and dug her fingers into her rear.

 

toni moaned into cheryl's neck sending vibrations down her body, and cheryl is almost shocked at how good this already feels. toni has kissed cheryl's neck before during their previous make out sessions but now that they're both lying in toni's bed, naked, and she knows it's leading somewhere the feeling has doubled.

 

toni trailed her lips back up to cheryl's and captured them in a bruising kiss. cheryl hummed as she let toni completely control the kiss, relaxing as she let her body enjoy the sensations her girlfriend was giving her. toni swirled her tongue against cheryl’s, something cheryl absolutely loved when toni did. she hummed and squeezed her backside before sliding her hands up her back and tangled them into toni's hair.

 

toni removed her right hand from her breast and trailed it down her stomach. she stopped when she felt the elastic of her panties and dipped just the tips of her fingers under the lace fabric as traced her fingers from side to side.

 

cheryl's breath hitched as she gripped her fingers in toni's roots and kissed her harder, groaning into her mouth. she squeezed her thighs tighter around toni's waist and bucked her hips up in search for some friction.

 

"toni, i want you." she breathed out. toni retracted her hand and pushed herself up on her knees. she curled her fingers under the elastic and her breath hitched at the way cheryl was looking at her, eyes dark with lust.

 

"may i?" toni asked, voice barely above her whisper. cheryl bit her lip with a nod and toni slid her panties down her smooth legs. when they were off she laid them next to her own at the foot of the bed. she trailed her fingers up her legs starting at her knees, up the top of her thighs, over her hip bones, up her stomach, and to her breast pausing for a second to knead them in her palms.

 

cheryl placed her hands on top of toni’s and squeezed them, telling her to use more force and toni did, and the moan she released caused a smile to grow on her face.

 

toni removed her hands from her breasts and she leaned her body back down on top of her. they kissed again and it was borderline sloppy, their tongues rolling around each other’s before their lips press together forcefully.

 

once again toni trailed her right hand back down her body. she slowly swiped her finger through her folds, in contrast with the heated kiss, and cheryl hesitated in their kiss with a moan at the feeling. she didn’t expect the first touch to feel like that. electric.

 

toni pressed the pad of her pointer and middle fingerinto her clit and cheryl’s lips parted it a gasp and she furrowed her brows with a high pitch moan.

 

toni drew tight firm circles over her clit, slow at first before speeding up, switching directions every now and then causing cheryl’s breath to hitch and to dig her fingernails in toni’s back.

 

“is this good?” toni asked into her ear before placed a kiss there.

 

“oh _fuuuck_ yes”

 

toni had to admit, although she was more excited than anything, she was a little nervous going into tonight. she knows all about cheryl’s past and her high body count and she was afraid she would be able to fill their shoes. but the way cheryl was gripping her back, and the way her hips were bucking up into her hand, and the moans and groans she was releasing, all that nervousness was wiped away.

 

and cheryl couldn’t believe it. she couldn’t believe it at all. she couldn’t believe the way her body felt right now. there’s no way in hell that this was out of practice for toni. cause even though toni might have been joking when she said she was a little out of practice cheryl didn’t expect it to feel this good. and holy shit it felt so good and she hasn’t even gone inside yet.

 

as if toni was reading her mind she slid her fingers lower through cheryl’s slick folds and circled her entrance a few times before sliding two digits into her center. and holy fuck it was wet.

 

“cheryl.” toni whispered out in awe.

 

she pushed her fingers all the way in and back out, in and out. gradually getting faster with each retraction of her fingers until she found a steady rhythm. it wasn’t a breakneck speed but it wasn’t gentle either. for cheryl, it was perfect.

 

“fuck toni.” cheryl moaned out as she wrapped her hand around the back of toni’s neck and brought her lips back to her, kissing her with bruising pressure in rhythm with her thrusts.

 

she could tell toni was trying to find her spot by the way she hesitated in their kiss and they way her fingers were twisting and curling inside her. cheryl just kept kissing toni, allowing her to search for it for herself instead of taking control like usual.

 

a few moments passed and toni still hasn’t found it. cheryl started trailing her hand down her arm to assist her in finding it and just before she reached her wrist her back snapped up off the bed, she squeezed her thighs tighter around her hips and she released the filthiest moan toni has ever heard.

 

“ _fuck_... right there toni! _don’t_ _stop!_ ”

 

she curled her hands around the back of toni’s shoulders and bucked her hips up, matching toni’s thrusts, creating and intoxicating rhythm.

 

cheryl was close and toni could feel it. God, she’s missed this feeling. she forgot how good it felt feeling wet pulsating walls squeezing her fingers. this is why she was more into girls. she would much rather feel soft walls than a hard dick. curse her attraction to men.

 

cheryl was right on the edge, just ready to fall off. her body craved it, needed it, was screaming for it. she just needed one more thing to help push her over the edge. just as she opened her mouth to tell toni what she needed she felt a thumb press into her clit and rub circles as her fingers sped up even more.

 

“shit.” cheryl basically shouted as she leaned up to dig her teeth into her shoulder. that was it, that’s exactly what she needed to fall over but she held it, she just wanted one more thing.

 

“toni... tell me t-to cum.” cheryl stuttered out as she dug her fingernails deeper into toni’s back, probably breaking the skin.

 

“cum for me baby.” toni rasped in her ear, and cheryl finally let go. moaning loudly, hoping her butler and any other staff present can’t hear her.

 

she came with toni’s name on her lips and a string of curse words and toni kept her fingers moving to help her though it.

 

when cheryl came down toni rose up on one hand and slowly removed her fingers from cheryl, biting her lips at the arousal coating them. she brought them up to her lips but hesitated to put them in her mouth.

 

“what?” cheryl asked furrowing her brows.

 

“i uh... i kinda... the first time i taste you i wanna... actually taste you.”

 

“well here then.” cheryl smirked and wrapped her fingers around toni’s wrist and brought her fingers to her mouth. toni’s breath hitched and she dug her teeth into her bottom lip when cheryl wrapped her lips around her fingers, keeping her eyes locked on toni’s. toni’s eyes got darker with just as she cleaned her own arousal off her fingers.

 

once her fingers were clean and she pulled her fingers out of her mouth. toni groaned and leaned down to press one hard kiss to her lips. she pulled back with a loud smack and trailed her lips down to her neck, sucking a little more harsh and occasionally nipping at her delicate skin.

 

she trailed lower and dragged her tongue along her collar bone before pressing open mouthed kisses all over her chest.

 

she trailed lower and brought a hand up to knead cheryl’s breast and swirled her tongue over the other one. cheryl released a ragged breath and tangled her fingers through her hair. she arched her back and and tightened her hold in her hair when toni wrapped her lips around her nipple. she dug her teeth into it and tugged before sucking.

 

“toni _fuck_.”

 

after about a minute toni switched, wrapping her lips around her other nipple while squeezing the one she just released.

 

God, toni’s mouth felt so _fucking_ _good_ on her.

 

toni released her nipple with a pop and traveled lower. she painted every inch of skin on her stomach she could reach with her lips. she nipped at the skin of her hip bones and swirled her tongue over the area.

 

she settled on her stomach, her head positioned between her girlfriends legs. cheryl released a slow breath in preparation.

 

cheryl hardly ever let any of the previous women she’s fucked go down on her, unless they were an amazing kisser, but only a tiny handful of women did she let go down on her. but, no women has ever kissed her like toni has kissed her.

 

toni licked her lips in anticipation, about to taste her girlfriend from the first time, and a woman in general for the first time in years.

 

she wrapped her hands under cheryl’s thighs and leaned in closer, her breath ghosted over her center before she licked her first stripe through her folds.

 

 _oh_ _fuck_.

 

toni is so glad she didn’t taste her on her fingers first. something about getting it from the source made it so much better. and cheryl tasted amazing. toni groaned loudly and plunged her tongue deeper into cheryl and rolled her tongue through her folds.

 

“oh shit!” cheryl screamed half from the pleasure half from the shock. she sat up on her elbow and tangled her fingers in toni’s hair, pushing her closer.

 

toni was a phenomenal kisser but she most certainly was not expecting this.

 

 _holy_ _shit_.

 

cheryl fell back on the mattress with a drawn out moan. her hand continued to pull at toni’s hair as her other hand gripped the bedsheets beneath her.

 

toni gripped her thighs tighter and pushed her face even deeper into her heat. she moaned into her repetitively, sending constant vibrations into cheryl’s core that has cheryl’s eyes rolling in the back of her head.

 

“oh _God_ toni, don’t stop!”

 

cheryl was moaning uncontrollably and she knew she was being louder than she ever has. toni is really doing this to her.

 

“toni i’m- _fuck_ i’m close”

 

toni lowered her tongue to circle her entrance before slipping it inside causing cheryl to arch her back high off the bed with a broken cry. toni swirled her tongue around before wrapping her lips back around her clit. toni slid her hands up cheryl’s stomach and rolled her thumbs around cheryl’s nipples and the added sensations is what threw cheryl over the edge.

 

cheryl came again with toni’s name falling from her lips. she tangled both hands in her hair, pushing her impossibly closer as she bucked her hips up into her mouth, riding out her high high.

 

when she came down toni pulled back and leaned up on her hands. cheryl looked up at her and giggled at her arousal covering her lips, chin and the tip of her nose.

 

“come here.” cheryl wrapped her hands around toni’s neck and pulled her down to kiss her nose before cleaning herself off her chin and lips.

 

“holy fuck.” cheryl breathed out when the pulled away.

 

“really?”

 

“i know this may be hard to believe but i wholeheartedly mean this. _you_ , toni topaz, are _the_ _best_ i’ve ever had.” cheryl said with all seriousness, looking up at her with the softest eyes.

 

“i believe you. and you are the best i’ve ever had too. God, you are amazing and you taste amazing too.” toni leaned down to peck her lips.

 

“thank you so much for inviting me over tonight.” cheryl said as she trailed her fingers up and down her spine.

 

“of course cher, i couldn’t wait to get you in my bed.”

 

“ohhh so that’s the only my reason you invited me huh? just using me for sex.” cheryl said in a joking tone.

 

“okay that may be the main reason but i just wanted to be close to you. i’ve wanted to be close to you for so long but i understand why you wanted to wait.”

 

“yeah i’m really glad we did. it made our connection so much stronger. i have never felt _that_ before during sex.” cheryl leaned up to peck toni’s lips.

 

“me neither. and i can’t wait to feel that again.”

 

cheryl rose her eyebrows and adjusted them so her thigh was between toni’s. she bent her knee up pressing her thigh into toni’s center, causing her eyes to flutter close and release a light moan.

 

“why do we have to wait?” cheryl said we a smirk.

 

“that’s a good question.” toni said and she leaned down to kiss cheryl and the redhead flipped them over.

 

-

 

cheryl was the first to wake up. she opened her eyes to sun peeking through her curtains, blinking as her eyes adjusted. she also didn’t realize how comfortable to is bed was until now.

 

she looked down at the woman sleeping on top of her, her face hidden in the crook of her neck. she smiled when she noticed their hands were still intertwined, her other hand resting on the small of her back.

 

she slowly and gently adjusted them so they were laying on their sides facing each other. cheryl leaned forward to kiss the sleeping woman. she moved her lips against her still ones. when toni still didn’t move she lowered her hand to squeeze her backside as she dug her teeth into her bottom lip.

 

toni groaned and cheryl pulled away, watching as her eyebrows furrowed and her eyes fluttered open. the second they were open and she saw cheryl, she smiled.

 

“mmm morning.” toni rasped out and cheryl couldn’t help but shudder at the raspiness in her voice.

 

“good morning beautiful.” cheryl said, leaning back in to kiss her slowly.

 

“i could get used to waking up with you.” cheryl whispered against her lips

 

“so could i”

 

cheryl pressed her hand into the small of her back and pulled toni closer and tangled their legs together. she deepened the kiss and toni moaned into her mouth.

 

“morning sex?” toni asked as she slid her tongue past cheryl lips.

 

“i thought you’d never ask.” cheryl deepened the kiss more and pulled toni ever closer, lowering her hand back down to her favorite part of toni’s body. she flipped toni over on her back and settled her weight on top of her, their lips never disconnecting.

 

she pressed her thigh into toni’s core and ground into toni’s thigh and they both moaned into each other’s mouths at the same time. just as cheryl started to grind into her thigh. there was a knock on her bedroom door.

 

toni groaned in frustration as they broke apart.

 

“toni.” martin called from behind the door.

 

“yes martin.” toni called back.

 

“just want to inform you that your brother is here.”

 

“of course he is.” toni mumbled to cheryl.

 

“okay thank you!” she called out to martin.

 

“can we put this on hold? you hungry?”

 

“yes, we have plenty of time for more of this.” cheryl leaned down to peck her lips. “and i’m starving.”

 

they got out of bed and got dressed, cheryl putting in the pajamas that were laid out for her last night. they walked hand in hand down stairs and into her dining room and fangs was smiling from ear to ear to he looked up and saw the two of them.

 

“ohhh good morning. hey cheryl.”

 

“hey fangs.”

 

“why are you always here?” toni asked ash she and cheryl took a seat at the dining table.

 

“hey i didn’t know your girlfriend would be here. bout time you got laid... ow-“ fangs gripped his shoulder after toni punched him.

 

“have some respect for my girlfriend.”

 

“okay okay sorry.”

 

“and speaking of, we need to start setting ground rules. you can’t just pop by anytime you want anymore now that i have a girlfriend.” toni shot cheryl a wink grabbing her hand on top of the table.

 

“from now on you need to call before you come over. got it?”

 

“yes ma’am, i got it... so, how’s it going between you two? i see you had a great night last night.” fangs said poking the hickey on toni’s neck and she slapped his hand away with a laugh. cheryl smiled at the playful nature the siblings had.

 

“we’re great, right babe?” toni asked turning to face cheryl.

 

“yep. better than i’ve ever been.”

 

and for that morning, the three of them talked and fangs got to know cheryl, as they ate, probably the best breakfast cheryl has ever had. and when fangs left early afternoon the couple spent the remainder of the day in toni’s bed.

 

they were definitely not gonna be able to get enough of each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i already have ideas for the next 4 or 5 chapters but let me know what y'all wanna see in this fic.


	13. you two are really cute together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is a filler chapter but there are some very important inner thoughts, and it sets up the next chapter. also valerie is back in this chapter.
> 
> *smut warning*
> 
> enjoy this short fluffy chapter, cause next chapter is going to be hella long and there will be some angst.... hehehe

"cheryl fuck!" toni screamed into cheryl's shoulder.

they were sitting on top of cheryl's bed, toni in her lap, legs wrapped around her waist as two fingers piston in and out of her at a rapid speed and a thumb pressed rhythmically into her clit.

this is where they have been since coming back from their date over an hour ago.

toni honestly didn't know if she could cum again as she was reaching her fifth consecutive orgasm. but,  _fuck_ , cheryl was doing things to her that nobody has ever been able to do. for one, she had never been able to cum this many times in a row. no one has ever been good enough to do that for her.

"you got one more for me baby?"

and for two, cheryl just had such a way with words that turned toni in to putty in her hands.

"i- huhhh"

"breathe." cheryl cooed softly into toni's ear.

toni closed her eyes tightly and dropped her forehead on cheryl's shoulder. the way cheryl was thrusting into her spot and the way her thumb was pressing into her sensitive nerve, it was almost too much. she was whimpering as she dug her fingernails into cheryl's shoulder blades.

"just relax." cheryl said trailing her fingers of her free hand softly up and down toni's back in contrast with the harsh, fast movements of her fingers plunging in and out of her.

" _cheryl-"_

"shh, i got you, just let go."

tears welled in toni's eyes as she reached her fifth climax in a row. she closed her eyes and tried her hardest to relax her muscles as her orgasm rippled throughout her body, feeling it everywhere from her toes, up her spine and to her head, that felt lightheaded. it was so fucking intense but it felt  _so_   _fucking_   _good._

cheryl slows her thrusts down to long fluid movements as a gush of liquid sprayed onto her fingers and on the bed. cheryl smirked cockily and pressed a kiss to her shoulder.

"oh shit." toni breathed out against her collar bone once she came down and she winced when cheryl slowly pulls her fingers out.

cheryl sticks her drenched fingers in her mouth to clean them off before rubbing her hands up and down her back soothingly as toni's head rested on her shoulder and her breathing slowly regulated.

"you okay baby?" cheryl asked sweetly and pressed a kiss to the side of her head.

"no ones... ever made me do that before." toni breathes out.

"what?"

toni just whined and hugged her tighter as she snuggled her face in cheryl's neck, almost too embarrassed to say the word.

"squirt?" cheryl whispered in her ear and she chuckled when she felt toni nod against her.

"well i'm honored to be the first." cheryl said as she pressed another kiss to the side of her head.

toni placed a kiss to cheryl's neck and sat up to kiss her lips. the kiss was soft and slow. and cheryl could literally feel the exhaustion radiating off of toni and into their kiss.

"you tired baby?" cheryl asked.

"honestly, yes." toni said and cheryl laughed before pressing her lips to toni's forehead.

"why don't we take a quick shower first."

"that's a great idea." toni said noticing the light layer of sweat covering both of their bodies, and the mess that was made between her legs.

after a hot shower, which consisted of only washing, no funny business, and changing the sheets, the two of them cuddled together under the blankets while miss congeniality 2 played on the tv, although they were hardly paying attention to the movie.

toni was laying her head on cheryl's chest, her right leg tangled in between cheryl's legs, her foot rubbing up and down cheryl's calf and she was drawing circles over cheryl's ribcage.

cheryl's fingers trailed up her spine all the way to the back of her neck and down to the small of her back over and over, while her other hand scratched up and down toni's forearm.

every now and then cheryl would place a kiss to the top of toni's head, and toni would place a kiss to her collar bone.

it had been silent but a peaceful silence. but, cheryl couldn't help but think. think about just how crazy she is about toni. think about how much she cares about at her. thinks about how her heart warms and beats faster every time she looks at her. thinks about how it feels like electricity running through her body when she touches her. thinks about how she doesn't want to go to bed with anybody else, ever. about how maybe she's starting to fall in l-

"cher?" toni's voice took cheryl out of her thoughts.

"yeah baby?"

"do you want to go on another date tomorrow?"

"of course, what do you wanna do?"

"see that's the thing." toni started as she sat up on her elbow to look down at cheryl.

"fangs invited us to his gig tomorrow and i told him i'd have to ask you first because of-"

"valerie." cheryl finished her sentence. toni released a breath and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.

"i just don't want you to be uncomfortable. fangs invited us both but you really don't have to go if you don't want to."

"well, fangs did invite us both. and we're all adults. plus valerie and i ended on good terms. so yes, i will go with you to the gig tomorrow."

"are you sure?" toni asked as she searched her eyes for any hesitancy. 

"i'm sure."

when she found no hesitancy in those beautiful eyes, toni smiled down at her before leaning down to press a chest kiss to her lips and cheryl realized she would do anything to see toni smile like that forever. her heart got really warm and started to beat faster.

"hey, and maybe we can invite josie and veronica, make it a double date." toni said when she pulled away.

"oh yeah we haven't done that yet. how great is it that our best friends are dating."

"must be fate." toni said with a tight lipped smile and cheryl trailed her fingers up her back and wrapped her hand around the back of her neck and brought her lips back down to hers. toni cupped her cheek and they kissed languidly for awhile before toni cuddled back on her chest.

as she listened to her heart beat she realized she would never get tired of this. she could stay in cheryl's arms forever. there's no one else she wants more than cheryl. she is absolutely head over heels for her. just the simple thought of her makes her smile and her heart tingle. she really  _really_  likes cheryl. maybe more...

-

toni and cheryl, hands loosely intertwined between them, josie and veronica right beside them, arms wrapped around each other, and sweet pea and reggie trailing behind them, walked through central park, towards the large crowd facing a stage. there was a band playing that cheryl recognized from when they played at the bar a couple times.

toni scanned the crowd in search for her brother as they got closer. she saw him standing by the stairs that lead up to the stage with the rest of his band. toni called his name and waved him over when he looked in their direction. he grabbed joaquin's hand and walked towards the group.

"hey you made it!" he shouted as he gave his sister a hug.

"of course, we said we were coming." toni said as they pulled away.

"hey cheryl!" he said as he pulled her into a hug, which she reciprocated, while joaquin gave toni a hug at the same time.

"ladies." fangs said as he gave josie and veronica a group hug.

"you all are looking lovely this evening." fangs admired with a smile.

"thank you, oh and this is sweet pea and reggie." cheryl said motioning to the boys behind them.

"hey fellas." fangs said as he walked over to the guys. he slapped sweetpea's hand first and curled their fingers in a shake before doing the same to reggie.

"sup bro, love your band, can't wait to hear your set." reggie said.

"thanks man. and this is my boyfriend joaquin." fangs said as joaquin shook their hands as well.

"you play bass right?' sweet pea asked as he shook his hand.

"yep. that's me."

"nice, your groove is really solid."

"alright enough of this bromance. what time do you all go on." toni asked form where the girls stood off to the side. 

"in about 10 minutes." fangs said checking his watch. "we should head back, but enjoy the show and we'll see you after our set."

the group of 6 make their way towards the crowd and tried to get as close as possible. they found an area in the middle of the crowd towards the front of the stage. josie stood behind veronica and wrapped her arms around her stomach. cheryl stood behind toni and crossed her arms over her shoulder intertwining her right hand with toni's left and her left hand with toni's right. sweet pea and reggie just stood behind them.

"alright alright alright! welcome to saturday night live in the park! our next band is a local band, you've seen them basically everywhere. give it up for the serpents!" an emcee announced and they cheered and clapped as the band made their way on the stage wearing matching t-shirts with a snake logo on the front that matched the logo on the bass drum. fangs had cut the sleeves off of his. cheryl and toni rejoined their hands after applauding as fangs announced the band.

"like he said! my name is fangs and we are," the drummer did a drum roll as fangs backed away from the microphone and kicked his foot like michael jackson and spun around before grabbing the mic and bringing it close to his mouth and whispered, "the serpents."

toni and cheryl swayed to the music as the band went through three songs. 

as fangs talked a bit to give his band a small break before starting the next song toni made eye contact with valerie for a second, cheryl completely oblivious behind her. toni just looked away and pulled cheryl's hand to her mouth to place a kiss to the back of it. cheryl leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

"you good?" cheryl asked in her ear as the band started the next song.

"mhm." toni nodded and toni turned to look at her a placed a chaste kiss to her lips before settling her back into her chest. cheryl leg go of toni's fingers and placed her hands on toni's stomach. toni rested her hand on top of hers and pulled her arms tighter around her.

cheryl leaned down to place sweet kisses to her cheek and neck as they swayed to the music. toni didn't even know why she just felt so weird about just making eye contact with valerie just now. she got the girl. and she was so happy. and cheryl didn't seem to care at all that her ex was on that stage as she just kept kissing her cheek and jaw.

"baby we're in public." toni giggled as she moved her head away from cheryl's lips.

"sorry, you're just so irresistible." cheryl said smushing her lips to toni's cheek one more time before pulling away and resting the side of her head against toni's.

toni pulled her phone out of her back pocket and opened up her camera. she held the phone up as the two smiled at the camera and she took a couple pictures. cheryl pressed her lips to toni's cheek as she took another one. cheryl pulled back and they both laughed at the camera when they noticed sweet pea and reggie coming into to frame with smiles on their faces.

"oh we're taking pictures?" josie asked and she and veronica moved over to be in the camera too. toni extended her arm as far as she could reach and held the phone up to get everybody in the picture. 

toni was absolutely loving this. a couple months ago she wouldn't have even thought twice about canceling on an event like this. she would have never thought about dating someone who worked in a bar, let alone being friends with people who do. but here she was, at a festival in a park, wearing jeans and a  _fucking_  tank top, in the arms of her bartender girlfriend, laughing and taking selfies with people who a few months ago she would look down her nose at. she has changed so much for the better and that's all because of this girl behind her, whose arms were wrapped around her waist.

when the serpents were done with their set, a very sweaty fangs, who had ripped his cut off t-shirt off halfway through their set walked back up to the group.

"hey! you guys were awesome!" toni said giving him a high five. 

"thanks. hey, we're having a small after party tonight and me and joaquin's place. you all should come."

"i'm in the mood to party." veronica smiled and josie agreed.

"i'm definitely down." sweet pea said as reggie slapped and fist bumped fangs' hand.

"baby?" toni asked looking at cheryl.

"sure, i'm down."

"alright cool, we're about to head home now so i guess we'll see you there." fangs saluted as he jogged back over to his band, and the group started walking out of the park and towards the subway.

cheryl wrapped her arm around toni's shoulder and toni wrapped her arm around cheryl's waist as they walked.

"are you sure you're up for tonight? we don't have to go if you don't want, i know the whole band is gonna be there and i don't want you to be uncomfortable-"

"babe, i'm honestly okay with going. are  _you_  gonna be uncomfortable?"

"it's not about me, it's about you. valerie  _is_  your ex."

"yeah and  _you're_  my current girlfriend. are you gonna be uncomfortable being in the same room as my ex?"

"i couldn't care less. you're mine and that's all that matters."

"alright then." cheryl said and toni smiled up at her and they leaned in for a short kiss.

"you are so amazing, did you know that?" toni said.

"oh i know but you could say it again."

"oh my God." toni rolled her eyes as she pressed her fingers into cheryl's side knowing she's ticklish there. cheryl squirmed in her arms and they both laughed before leaning in for another chaste kiss.

-

the two couples and sweet pea and reggie walked into the apartment, the four bartenders mouthing  _'wow'_. cheryl had no idea how nice fangs' apartment was. it wasn't huge but it was luxurious. it opened into a big spacious living room, the kitchen to the right and a hallway that led to the bedrooms to the right. there was a large leather couch that sat in front of the tv mounted on the wall. and a pool table in the open area where a dining table would go.

there were already a couple people in the apartment when they entered, and music was playing over the surround sound system. sweet pea and reggie broke away form the girls to go check out the pool table while the four women entered the kitchen, where they found fangs, with a fresh white button up on, leaving the top four buttons open.

"welcome ladies!" fangs said with a bottle of champagne in his hands. 

"fangs this place is so nice." cheryl said admiring the marble counter tops.

"thanks. make yourselves at home and as you can see we have a vast assortment of drinks so enjoy." fangs said before making his way over to the pool table to join sweet pea and reggie. 

"want me to mix you a drink babe?" cheryl asked placing her hand on the small of toni's back.

"well you  _are_  the professional."

cheryl chuckled and placed a kiss to toni's cheek as she and veronica walked over the counter and made drinks for their girlfriends.

"look, we have our own personal mixologists." josie said with a smile as she watched veronica mix her drink.

"yeah... hey, how did you know you were in love with veronica." toni suddenly whispered out of nowhere and josie's eyes went wide with shock.

"oh my God, do you love cheryl?" she whispered back.

"i don't know. maybe. it's just... ugh the way she makes me feel, i've never felt this way about someone before. and i thought i was in love with forsythe but i've never felt what i feel for cheryl when i was with him. but would it be too soon to say it?"

"ronnie and i had only been dating a month before we started saying it. there's no set time on when to say those three magic words. when you feel it, you feel it. and if you feel it, then say it."

"but what if she doesn't say it back?"

"please, have you see the way she looks at you?"

"i know she's crazy about me but what if she isn't on the _i love you_  level yet?"

"look you took a risk when you hired her to be your assistant. you took a risk when you fell for her. you took a risk that night you kissed her for the first time. take a risk. tell her how you feel."

and that was the last word because their girlfriends walked back over to them with drinks for all of them in their hands. toni just smiled as she thanked cheryl, and wrapped her hand around her waist and placed a kiss to the corner of her mouth.

about 30 minutes have passed by and a few more people have arrived, but their hasn't been any sign of fangs' band except for he and joaquin. cheryl was standing against the wall as toni stood in between her legs, leaning back against her. veronica and josie stood in front of them with their arms wrapped around each others waists as they talked and laugh, all while sweet pea and reggie played pool with fangs and joaquin.

just then the door to the apartment was opened and fangs and joaquin cheered as their band walked through the door.

"took you all long enough!" fangs said as he and joaquin excused themselves from their pool game to greet their band. sweet pea and reggie left their cue's resting against the table and made their way over to the girls.

"there's valerie, you two good?" reggie asked as they watched the band go into the kitchen to get drinks.

"of course. no reason to not be." cheryl said honestly with a genuine smile on her face as she rested her hands on toni's hips.

"well that's good, cause here she comes." veronica said as valerie started walking towards them with a beer bottle in her hand. cheryl felt toni tense just a little and toni rubbed her hands up and down toni's outer thighs reassuringly.

"hey cheryl, hey toni." valerie said somewhat awkwardly as she approached them and the other couple and the two guys backed away and valerie stood awkwardly in front of them.

"hey valerie." cheryl said with a cordial tone and toni just smiled a tight lipped smile.

"i uh... i just wanted to say that i think you two are really cute together, i saw you in the crowd, and i'm so glad you're happy."

"wow, thank you valerie. we really are." cheryl said her lips curling up into a smile.

"and you did great today, the whole band too." toni offered up when heard the genuine sincerity in valerie's tone.

"thank you. well, enjoy your night and i'll see you around." valerie nodded before walking away.

"see, i told you. everything is fine." cheryl whispered into toni's ear before placing a kiss just below it. toni just smiled giddily.

-

about an hour has passed and the party is full underway. cheryl is surprised fangs hasn't had the cops called on him, considering how loud the music is.

the two couples have maneuvered their way to the couch. cheryl sat back against the armrest, toni leaned into her side, and her arm thrown over her shoulder and her fingers interlaced with toni's. veronica and josie were cuddled together next to them and fangs and joaquin sat along the L of the couch. the three couples laughed and joked together as they told stories of toni, josie, fangs and joaquin's past.

toni brought her cup up to her mouth as she emptied the last of the contents.

"you need a refill?" cheryl asked.

"please."

cheryl tapped her backside to get her move off of her and she stood from the couch taking both of their cups with her. veronica stood up saying she'll do the same and toni looked at her girlfriend with a soft smile as she watched her walk away. suddenly she felt the couch shift next to her as fangs plopped down beside her.

"so how's it going? everything okay with val?" fangs asked.

"yeah, everything is all good."

"that's great. hey, have you talked to her about the fourth of july yet?"

"no not yet, it's two weeks away but i'll guess i'll ask her about it tonight."

"alright, do that because you know mom and dad are gonna wanna meet her."

"i know. i'm a little nervous though."

fangs just laughed and patted her on the back as the two women returned with their drinks. 

they stayed at the party until it was nearing midnight and the party was starting to fizzle out. the group of 6 starting making their way to the front door.

"thanks for a great night." cheryl directed at fangs as he walked them out.

"of course thank you all for coming. and sweet pea, reggie, i want my rematch soon."

"oh it's on." sweet pea challenged.

"alright bye guys, bye sis, love you. get home safe." fangs said giving toni a side hug.

"we will, love you too." toni said and they all waved before walking out of his apartment and down the hall, out of the building and down the street towards the subway.

"so, you staying over tonight?" cheryl whispered in toni's ear as they sat on the subway, something toni has been doing a lot more often since she started dating cheryl.

"you know i can't say no to that." toni whispered back.

"well don't be too loud cause josie is staying tonight too." veronica spoke up from beside them.

"damn that girl has ears like a warewolf." cheryl whispered between gritted teeth.

"we'll try." toni said.

-

" _oh shit!"_ the both of them yelped at the same time as cheryl grinded her thigh into toni while she ground down on toni's thigh.

cheryl rolled off of her onto her back, so close to her that their arms were touching, as their chests moved heavily up and down.

"God, _you_... it just gets better and better" toni breathed out.

"agreed." cheryl breathed out as she raked her fingers through her own hair.

they took a few minutes to regulate their breathing, before toni turned on her side to face her girlfriend.

"hey can i ask you something?" toni asked and cheryl turned to mirror her position and rubbed her hand up and down toni's arm.

"of course."

"i know it's two weeks away but would you like to come with me to my parents home, well,  _my_ home for the fourth of july?"

"toni topaz, am i meeting the parents?" cheryl asked with a smile.

"yes. i want my parents to meet the woman who has stolen my heart."

"aww... i would love to. although i have never  _met the parents_  before, so i'm a little nervous."

"don't be, you're amazing and you make me so happy. they're gonna love you. they fell in love with joaquin the first day they met him. besides they've been asking me if i'm finally gonna start dating again forever. so don't stress."

"okay. i'll try not to."

toni just chuckled as she leaned in to kiss cheryl slowly.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i just want to make it clear that there will be no future drama involving valerie for the remainder of the fic. drama including other exes however..... *insert nervous laughter* okay bye until next time :)


	14. baby you're a firework (pt. 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's the fourth of july weekend and cheryl is about to meet toni's parents.
> 
> this was originally going to be one chapter but it's long as fuck. so i did a poll on twitter and decided that part 1 would be posted today and part 2 will be posted either tomorrow or wednesday, but no later than wednesday. 
> 
> also i'm pretty sure like almost every chapter from here on will contain smut because i am having so much fun writing cheryl as a top lmao.
> 
> enjoy this fluffy and smutty chapter cause next chapter we're getting some angst hehe.

"are you nervous?" veronica asked as she and cheryl walked through a department store in the mall.

"a little." cheryl said and veronica gave her a pointed look.

"okay, a lot. i'm meeting her parents ronnie. i've never met parents before. what if i say something stupid, or they don't like me, or don't think i'm good enough for toni. i mean she owns her own business and i'm just her assistant."

"so what? if toni thinks you're good enough for her then why would it matter what they think?" veronica said as they reached the swim suit section of the store, and they started swiping through the suits on the rack. toni had called her a couple days ago telling her to make sure she packs a swimsuit. and seeing as cheryl only had one black bikini, she asked veronica to come with her to buy a new one.

"it matters to me. they are toni's parents and i want them to like me. getting the parents approval would make it so much easier to fall in-" cheryl stopped herself mid sentence hoping veronica somehow didn't catch on to what she was about to say. but being  _veronica_ she catches on to everything and cheryl knew she was caught when her best friend snapped her head up.

"fall in what?" she asked, her eyebrows raised. cheryl just adverted her eyes and distracted herself by rifling through the swimsuits, and held one up.

"do you think this is cute?"

"nuh uh, don't change the subject. are you falling in love with toni?"

cheryl sighed and put the suit back on the rack and ran her fingers through her hair.

"i don't know, maybe. i don't know what love feels like. i've never been... ya know... in it before. but... God, i think about her all the time. she's the first person i think about when i wake up and the last person on my mind when i fall asleep. every time i think about her i smile. every time we touch it feels like literal electricity. every time we kiss it feels like i'm about to float out of my body. and sex isn't just sex with her. it's so much more, it’s... indescribable. she makes me feel so warm, and one look from her gives me this feeling that i've never felt before. and i know that i don't wanna kiss, date, or sleep with anyone else, maybe ever."

veronica just watched her best friend talk with the most joyful eyes and a soft smile on her face. she interlocked her own fingers and brought them up to rest her chin on them.

"cheryl… you're in love with toni."

"i am?... i am. oh shit i am. how am i gonna tell her? oh my God, what if she doesn't say it back?"

"cheryl chill. anyone with eyes can see toni is in love with you. do you see the way she looks at you? it's so obvious."

"really?"

"uh duh. damn cheryl you're a pro at women but you suck at love."

"shut up! this is new to me."

"and look you don't have to make a grand gesture, just tell her when you feel the time is right."

"oh my God. now i'm nervous about two things."

veronica didn't respond. she just went back to looking through the bathing suits until she came across the perfect one. she took it off the rack and held it in the air.

"here get this one. it's perfect."

-

toni knocked on the door to cheryl's apartment and a few moments later it was opened by her beautiful girlfriend.

"hey sexy." cheryl said with a smile as toni stepped through the door. she let go of the door and slid her hands down to toni's backside and leaned down for a greeting kiss.

"are you ready?” toni asked once they pulled away.

"am i ready to go? yes. am i ready to meet your parents?..." cheryl trailed off and laughed out nervously.

"relax babe. it's gonna be fine i promise." toni said reassuringly although hardly calming her girlfriends nerves as she slid her hands up and down cheryl's arms. her lips curled upward and she leaned in for another kiss.

when they pulled away, cheryl patted toni on her rear before separating from their embrace completely. she walked over to where her suitcase was sitting next to couch and called out her best friends name, who emerged less than 5 seconds later.

"i'm leaving." cheryl announced as she walked into the living room.

"okay. have a great weekend." ronnie smiled and pulled cheryl into a hug. "good luck with the parentals and with the three magic words" veronica whispered into cheryl's ear. cheryl pulled back saying everything she needed to with her eyes and her best friend was able to read them perfectly. she knew was extremely nervous about both. she placed an encouraging hand on her shoulder.

"bye toni, take a great weekend. take care of my girl."

"thanks you too. and of course, don't plan on doing anything less." toni smiled and she held her hand out for cheryl's and they left the apartment.

when they got outside fangs and joaquin were leaning up against fangs motorcycle, joaquin’s own parked next to it, as they waited for the girls. fangs smiled and greeted cheryl with a side hug before taking her suitcase from her and setting it in toni's trunk.

"alright we all set?" fangs asked after clapping his hands together once.

"i think we're all good. i'll lead cause you two always get crazy on those bikes."

"they were made for speed." joaquin said as the two boys settle down on their bikes. toni rolled her eyes as the two women slide into her car.

as they rode on the highway, fingers interlaced and resting on cheryl's thigh, cheryl couldn't deny the warm tingling feeling in her chest as she occasionally looked over at her girlfriend. her side profile is just so perfect, her skin glowed in the sunlight, she just looked so effortlessly beautiful as she quietly sang along to the song on the radio. cheryl is in love with her, and although extremely nervous, she can't wait to tell her.

toni could feel the eyes burning into the side of her face. her lips curled into a smile as she cautiously turned to look at her girlfriend. they both giggled as they caught each other's eyes before toni turned back to look at the road.

toni's heart wouldn't not stop fluttering. her hand just felt so comfortable in cheryl's, like they were made for each other. toni could hold cheryl's hand forever. she can't even explain how cheryl makes her feel. she is so glad that fangs forced her to go to that bar to hear his band play or she would've never met cheryl properly. and she wouldn’t be holding hands with this incredible woman right now, on the way to introduce her to her parents. God, she is in love with her, and she can't wait to tell her.

after an almost two hour drive toni, with fangs and joaquin behind her, pulled up a street towards a tall black gate with a circle at the top with a T in the center of it. as they pulled up to the gate it opened inward and the three vehicles pulled through. they drove down a narrow street with tall trees on both sides of the road.

cheryl gazed out the window as the sun flashed through the leaves like a strobe light.

the road opened up into a massive space of land and there in the middle sat the most beautiful home cheryl has ever seen.

her jaw dropped as she gazed at the beautiful exterior of the extremely large home. it was lined in grey brick and there were tons of windows. the bushes in front of the home were cut so neatly they almost looked fake. toni turned into the driveway and pulled the car around a fountain and parked in front of the front doors. there were two steps that led through two columns that led to a pair of tall white double doors.

the doors were opened and out walked two men in black tuxes followed by and woman that looked just like fangs and a man that looked just like toni.

her heart started thumping in her chest. she was really about to meet toni's parents. they were a mere 10 feet away. there was no turning back now. she was so glad toni's windows were tinted so they couldn't see her look of pure nervousness on her face right now.

"hey, don't be nervous." toni said placing her hand on cheryl's thigh.

"you know saying don't be nervous only makes me more nervous." cheryl said still gazing out the window at toni's parents.

she felt gentle fingers gripping her chin before her face was turned and soft lips were pressed to hers. four slow kisses were pressed to her lips before they were gone.

"they're gonna love you."

_i already do,_ was on toni's mind, but she couldn't say it yet.

cheryl just nodded and closed her eyes as her favorite pair of lips connected to her forehead.

"stay in the car okay, i'll get you in a sec."

"okay." she whispered and toni exited the car, giving cheryl a chance to relax and breathe.

"mom! dad!" toni cheered as she jogged around her car as fangs and joaquin hugged their parents. she jokingly pulled joaquin by his shirt away from her mother before embracing the woman.

"hi sweetie. wow look at you! you are glowing." her mom said while cupping her cheeks.

"thanks!" she smiled before exiting her embrace and falling into her fathers. she snuggled her face into his chest as they hugged each other tightly.

"hey pumpkin." he grunted before pulling her back to look at her.

"wow, your mother is right, you are glowing. is there something you need to tell us? you aren't pregnant are you?"

"no, definitely not." toni said through a laugh. "but there is something i need to tell you, that will explain why i’m _glowing_."

toni walked towards the front door of her car and took a deep breath before opening the door.

cheryl sat in the car and watched with a smile as toni greeted her parents. they were smiling and looked so welcoming. she finally calmed her heart down until she saw her girlfriend walking towards the car. the door was opened and toni extended her hand for cheryl to take.

"you ready?"

cheryl nodded and placed her hand in toni's and rose up out of the car, and hand in hand they walked back towards toni’s parents.

"mom, dad, this is cheryl, my girlfriend."

cheryl heart nearly stopped when her parents looked at her apprehensively, before sharing a look with each other.

cheryl drew in a shuddering breath and toni arched an eyebrow in confusion and gripped cheryl's hand tighter.

cheryl stared nervously at toni's parents, almost having the mind to tell toni she doesn't want to stay until smiles grew on their faces as they turned back to face the couple.

"wow, cheryl it is a pleasure to meet you." toni's mother said genuinely and cheryl released a breath she didn't even know she was holding. cheryl smiled as the woman opened her arms and pulled her into a hug.

"it's so nice to meet you too mr. and mrs topaz." cheryl said as she pulled away from her mom and extended her hand for toni's dad to shake.

"i would say it's so nice to  _finally_ meet you, but we haven't heard a word about you." her dad said giving toni a pointed look to which she rolled her eyes at.

"dad please. i wanted it to be a surprise."

"well it is a lovely surprise. you are very beautiful." toni's mom said.

"thank you, and so are you."

"alright can we get out of the heat now." fangs complained from the porch.

"yes yes, come inside. give alfred your keys and he'll pull your car into the garage and bring your bags in. fangs, joaquin, you're on your own with the bikes." toni's father said as he ushered them all inside.

"yeah yeah yeah we know." fangs said.

the first thing cheryl noticed when she walked into the home was the crystal chandelier than hung down on the foyer from the extremely high ceiling.

"wow." she thought she said it in her head but realized she said it out loud when toni chuckled.

"i love it too." toni said as she interlaced her fingers with cheryl's.

they followed the older topaz’s through the grand staircase that came down on both sides of foyer, walking past an open area with a white grand piano in the center.

"wow look at this piano. do either of you play mr. and mrs. topaz?" cheryl asked as she admired the piano and ran her hands over the top of it.

"i play, but i bought it for fangs as a high school graduation gift, but he was more fond of the guitar. so we just kept it here." mr. topaz said placing his hand on his sons shoulder.

"i didn't know you play piano too." cheryl said to fangs.

"yeah-"

"play something for us." mrs topaz said sweetly.

"oh i don't know."

"come on just play something babe." joaquin encouraged and fangs sighed before slumping down on the piano bench. he wiggled his fingers before gently placing them on the keys. he started pressing his fingers into the keys up the scale in a very classical way.

as he played the majestic sounding song, cheryl was shocked. this was completely different from the usual rock sound his band plays. she looked at her girlfriend and caught her eyes and they smiled at each other.

fangs finished his short piece and stood up from the piano after his mother thanked him and they followed their parents through the opening to the left. they walked through another pair of columns and down two steps into a large living room.

for the first time cheryl noticed the marble floors beneath her as they walked further into the living room. there was a long brown leather couch, big enough to fit about 6 people on it, facing the wall with a fireplace and a mantle with tons of pictures of the family set on it.

there were two more smaller couches on either side of the larger couch and a long glass coffee table in the middle of them.

to the far right of the living room sat a glass statue of some abstract figure and floor to ceiling windows and two double doors that led to a balcony.

to the left of the living room was a wall with a pair of mahogany double doors, toni informed her that was her mother's home office.

"toni would you like to give cheryl a tour while andre prepares dinner? then we can get to know cheryl more while we eat."

"sure. babe?" toni raises her eyebrows in question and extended her hand. cheryl nodded and toni interlaced their fingers.

"well this is the living room." toni said with a chuckle and cheryl rolled her eyes before toni led her back out and pass the piano. they walked through the opposite opening and into a dining room. there was a long glass table with tall grey chairs pushed into the table, and a smaller chandelier hung over the table.

they walked through the room through another opening and into the kitchen. cheryl's jaw dropped at how big the kitchen was. it looked like a mini version of a professional kitchen in a 5 star restaurant. the walls were lined with black marble counters. there was a large island in the middle of the kitchen and a smaller rectangular table in front of more floor to ceiling windows. there was a small kitchen staff moving around from the stove to the sink on the island, to the cabinets, to the fridge.

"this is the kitchen, and our staff. chef andre!" toni called and a man wearing a white chef style shirt poked his head up from the frying pan he was shaking over the stove.

"toni! welcome home!" he said handing the pan off to another cook and making his way over to the pair and pulled toni into a hug.

"it's so good to see you again. and who is this lovely lady?"

"this is my girlfriend cheryl, cheryl this is our head chef, andre.  he's been with us since i was a kid. basically family."

"it's so nice to meet you cheryl." he said as he extended his hand and cheryl placed her hand in his and he covered the back of her hand with his other one and shook it.

"and let me tell you, i may be biased but you really lucked out with this one."

"it's nice to meet you as well, and i agree." cheryl said shooting a soft smile to toni.

"and you must be very special cause you're only the second person toni has ever brought home."

"well i'm honored." cheryl said with a slight laugh noticing the blush of embarrassment on toni's cheeks.

"well i'll let you get back to what i assume is a tour. and if you get hungry and want anything, even if it's just a sandwich, let me know and i got you."

"thank you andre." toni said and she led cheryl out of the kitchen through an opening that led towards the front of the house.

they walked through a small sitting room until the reached a hallway, that if you took a right leads back to the foyer, but toni took a left and explained as they walked past another set of mahogany double doors.

"and this is my dads study." she said as she led them down the hall and stopped in front of a single white door. she opened it and they stepped into a garage that had about 5 cars in it.

"wow" cheryl gasped as toni walked her through the garage. she explained to her that the lexus was her mother's, the bmw was her dads car, the big ford truck and motorcycle was her brothers, and the convertible mercedes was toni's.

"wow was this a graduation gift too?" cheryl asked as they stood by her car.

"no this was for sweet 16, so was fangs’ truck."

cheryl just nodded. she's really starting to realize just how different she and toni grew up. for her sweet 16 all she got was a birthday cake. she's never even driven a car before nor does she have her license.

toni lifted cheryl's hand to her mouth a pressed a kiss to the back of it before leading her out of the garage and back into the house.

they walked down to the end of the hallway and down the stairs to the basement. there's was another living room with a black leather couch facing a large screen tv mounted on the wall. the was a bar and a wine cellar, a pool table and a ping pong table, and a movie theater with two rows of recliners facing a large screen that took up the entire wall.

toni led her to the back door and outside to the large patio. there was an outdoor kitchen and bar. there were 10 lawn chairs facing a large pool.

the pool was huge. there was a small mountain of rocks with a waterfall coming out of it and into the pool. there was a water slide next to that, and a short lazy river around the back of the pool. and there was a connecting jacuzzi to the side of the pool.

"wow this is ridiculous!" cheryl exclaimed as they walked pass the pool.

"see why i told you to bring a suit." toni said as she led her further into the back hard and stopped at the stop of a staircase and looked down at a sand volleyball court.

toni led her back towards the home and up the stairs to the ground level balcony. she led her through the back door behind the piano and led her through the foyer and up the stairs. she took her down the hallway and showed her the bedrooms, including fangs room and her parents master which was even bigger than toni's master in her home.

"and here we are, the last stop. my bedroom." toni smiled as she opened the door inward and ushered her inside. cheryl couldn't believe this is where toni grew up. the room was very spacious. as you walk in there was a king sized bed to the right, their luggage standing up right beside it. in front of the bed sat a white couch. the bed and couch were facing a wall with a tv mounted on it and a bunch of pictures hung on the wall, mostly of she and fangs. towards the far left of the room there was a step up and a small sitting area occupied by a love seat and a chair and a small circled coffee table in between. behind the sitting area was another pair of double door that led out onto another balcony.

there was a door to the left of the bed. toni pulled cheryl forward and motioned with her head, and walked her towards the bathroom. the door opened into a spacious en suite with a jacuzzi tub, a standing shower, and double sinks. she walked through a smaller set of double doors that lead to the walk in closet which was basically empty, seeing as toni no longer lives at home.

"wow baby, your room, and this entire home is beautiful." cheryl said as they walked back into the bedroom.

"thank you baby."

"you really had a great life." cheryl said softly, running her hands over toni's expensive comforter on top of her bed.

toni furrowed her brows at cheryl's comment and the way she said it. she knew cheryl had a hard life and she hoped that her being her wasn't making her envious or jealous or upset that she didn't grow up like toni, which was kind of the vibe she was getting off her girlfriend right now. she moved to stand next to cheryl and ran her fingers down her forearm and grabbed her hand. she rubbed her thumb over her knuckles.

"you know it's just stuff right baby? and having money isn't the reason i had a good life."

"no i know, having a family is, something i didn't have the privilege of having"

"hey," toni pulled in her arm to get her to look at her. "you have a family. veronica, and sweet pea, and reggie, and... me."

"not the same as having parents who love you."

toni blinked a few times and opened and closed her mouth, unsure of what to say. she pulled cheryl by her arm again and wrapped her hands around her lower back. she leaned in and brushed her lips against cheryl's in a gentle kiss. she pulled away and looked into her eyes before leaning back in a closing her lips over cheryl's bottom lip. as their lips moved together, cheryl brought her hands up to cup toni's cheeks and deepened the kiss.

toni turned her around and pushed cheryl down on the bed, falling on top of her and they pulled away from their kiss with a laugh. toni raked her fingers through her hair and tucked a piece behind her ear.

"i'm sorry you had a hard life baby, and i wish there was a way i could fix it."

cheryl tilted her head and looked up at her with soft eyes full of what toni could have swore is love. she traced her thumb over her bottom lip before leaning up for a quick peck.

"you already have."

"good." toni whispered. she flicked her eyes back down to cheryl's lips and leaned back in for a deep kiss. cheryl slid one hand down to rest in her lower back while her other hand gripped the back of toni's neck, she tilted her head for a more intimate kiss as she slid the side of her tongue against toni's.

toni raked her fingers through cheryl's hair and moaned lightly into her mouth. cheryl slid the hand that was gripping the back of her neck down her back to join her other hand before both hands slid over her backside and squeezed greedily.

"hey girls mom told me tell you- oh shit- um..." fangs started as he walked into her room but quickly turned around as toni groaned in annoyance and quickly stood up off of cheryl.

"sorry to interrupt but mom told me to tell you that dinner is ready."

"okay we’ll be right down." toni said adjusting her shirt as cheryl stood up off the bed. without another word, fangs left the room and toni and cheryl fell into a fit of laughter.

"come on." toni chuckled and grabbed cheryl's hand and pulled her out of the room.

-

"so cheryl, tell us about yourself." mrs. topaz spoke up as the six of them ate dinner in the dining room. cheryl shot toni a look and she gave her back and encouraging nod.

"well, i grew up in a foster home." cheryl paused to look at their reactions. but all she saw was wonder and no judgement so far so she continued.

"when i turned 18 i moved out with my best friend veronica-"

"who is dating josie by the way." toni interrupted and her parents just nodded and hummed in interest.

"and we've worked together at this bar on the city, since we were 17. just anything to pay the bills and stuff since our foster parents didn't really care about us."

"oh i'm so sorry." mrs topaz said and cheryl's lips curled into a smile at her genuine care.

"yeah it's okay, i just feel sorry for the kids who are still in their care."

"people like that, who only do it for the money, shouldn't be foster parents." mr. topaz spoke up.

"i agree." cheryl replied.

"so how did you two meet?" mrs. topaz asked.

"well working at the bar was really fun, it's still really fun, but i wanted to do more so i uh..." cheryl trailed off not sure if she should continue, but she felt toni’s hand grip hers underneath the table and squeeze reassuringly.

"i applied for an assistant position at topaz."

"oh you work at topaz?" mr. topaz asked, and cheryl nodded.

"who are you assisting for?" mrs. topaz asked.

cheryl drew in a shuddering breath and squeezed toni's hand under the table. she was afraid to tell them she even worked at topaz, let alone was her assistant. she didn't want her parents to think it was inappropriate or was just using toni to sleep her way to the top.

toni, noticing her girlfriends nervousness, spoke for her.

"she's actually my assistant." toni said with the upmost confidence.

"oh-"

"and before you say anything i didn't have ulterior motives when i hired her. she was literally the most qualified person out of the 20 i interviewed. i actually was an idiot and turned her down at first. but i guess fate brought us back together cause fangs just happened to have a gig at the bar cheryl works at. and she basically runs that bar, not only does she make the most amazing drinks, but she handles bookings and orders things and is a great negotiator, and can figure out %15 of $36 in her head. i would've been stupid not to hire her. it wasn't my intention to fall for her, but i did. hard." toni finished turning to face cheryl with a soft smile.

"mr and mrs topaz i just want you to know that i'm crazy about your daughter. when we first met she was this snooty, uptight-"

"i hope you're going somewhere with this." toni interrupted, and cheryl chuckled.

"but she turned out to be the sweetest, most caring and supportive woman i have ever met. i have never felt this way about anyone before and i mean that wholeheartedly. there's nobody else that i want more, maybe for the rest of my life. she's the one."

toni bit her lip to keep from smiling but it hardly worked as her mouth formed into a toothy grin. this is the first time she's ever heard cheryl say she wants her for the rest of her life, and little did she know toni felt the exact same way.

they both looked at her parents and saw their eyes wide with shock and their mouths parted, before her dad spoke

"well, uhh... looks like you got a good one toni. you might wanna hold on to her."

"i plan to." toni replied

"but, be careful. working together can be hard, especially if you're her assistant. sometimes it can be dangerous to mix business with pleasure."

"i know mom. but what happened with forsythe isn't gonna happen with us."

"okay. by the way, i think you two are really cute together."

"thank you, i do too." toni said as she lifted cheryl's hand up to place a kiss to the back of it.

"i never got a thank you by the way, tiny." fangs suddenly spoke up.

"for what?" toni asked.

"for forcing you to come to my gig. if i hadn't you and cheryl probably wouldn't be together, so you're welcome."

"thank you fangs." toni said with pure sarcasm and her brother just rolled his eyes.

cheryl felt so much more relaxed than she did when they first arrived. she was so nervous her parents would hate her, especially how she grew up and the fact that she's a bartender and toni's assistant. but so far everything was good and her parents seemed to like her. this is the first time, and hopefully the only time she's _meeting the parents_ , and she honestly thought she was killing it so far.

-

"hey mom, dad, can i talk to you for a sec?" toni asked later that night as she walked into her parents bedroom.

"sure honey." mrs. topaz said as toni approached the bed and wrapped her hand around one of the posts at the foot of the bed.

"when i first introduced cheryl, you guys seemed a little weird at first. like shocked but not in a good way. you shared this  _look_."

"uh we- we were just surprised is all." her mother answered, with a slight stutter that made toni raise an eyebrow.

"are you sure?"

"yes, we just weren't expecting you to bring anyone home, that's all. we like cheryl, sweetie, honestly. I really think she’s good for you. You need someone to keep you grounded and humble." her dad said with a little more confidence that eased toni's mind.

"and she really does. i’ve change so much because of her, in a good way. she makes me so happy.” toni said with a smile.

“that’s amazing sweetie. and i'm so happy your happy.” mrs topaz said.

“well... that’s all i wanted, goodnight." toni said with a nod and a departing smile, exiting the after her parents said goodnight back. when toni was gone and the bedroom door was closed, both topaz's let out a breath, and looked at each other with worried expressions.

"should we have told her?" mr. topaz asked his wife

"it's too late. hopefully everything with be okay tomorrow."

"i really hope so."

-

toni walked into her room and shut the door as cheryl was laying sideways on the bed, searching the guide on her tv. toni just smiled at her as she walked towards her bed.

"what?" cheryl asked, turning her attention away from the tv towards her girlfriend matching her expression.

"nothing. just loving how at home you seem right now."

cheryl sat up and moved to she was sitting on the edge of the bed as toni stepped in between her legs. she cupped her cheeks and leaned down the small distance to capture her lips as cheryl slid her hands up the back of her thighs and rested on her backside. toni pulled back and pressed a sweet kiss to cheryl's nose before pulling away and wrapped her hands around the back of her neck.

"my parents like you." toni stated and couldn't help the warm feeling that spread through her body at the bright smile that grew on her girlfriends face.

"really?" toni nodded her head enthusiastically before leaning down for a short peck.

"God, babe i was so nervous." cheryl breathed out.

"i could tell. i told you there was nothing to worry about. you're amazing it would be hard not to love you"

toni didn't even realize what she just said and cheryl's eyebrows twitched up but tried to keep her emotions at bay. toni just dropped the L word, but cheryl wasn't sure if it was an exact declaration. she didn't say  _i love you,_ but it was implied... right?

cheryl didn't question it, she just leaned up to press her lips to toni's again. their lips moved together for a bit before toni slips her tongue into cheryl's mouth and she accepts it with a hum.

"mmm... you know what i'd really love to do right now?" toni mumbles against her lips. cheryl gives her one last peck before pulling away as toni trailed her lips down to her neck.

"babe, in your parents home?" cheek asked as she closed her eyes at the feeling of warm lips sucking on her pulse point.

before, cheryl wouldn't give a fuck where she smashed a girl. but this was her girlfriend’s, who she loves, parents home. and she didn't want to disrespect them. but,  _God_ , toni was sucking on her spot right now.

"they're in bed for the night on the complete opposite side of the house. fangs and joaquin are in the basement, and the rooms are basically sound proof."

well fuck, that was enough for her. if toni wanted her, she most certainly was not gonna deny her girl.

"well in that case." cheryl suddenly stood from the bed and gripped the back of her thighs before lifting toni up and her legs wrapped around her waist. even after being together for a couple months toni still hasn't gotten used to being spontaneously lifted in the air.

cheryl basically ran forward until toni's back was slammed into the wall. toni gasped at the impact and cheryl immediately attacked her neck.

" _fuck."_ toni moaned as her head fell back against the wall with a thud. toni loved how cheryl can flip a switch so quickly. she can go from the sweet, gentle girl she loves to the rough, dominating girl that she  _loves,_ in an instant. and she's able to read her mood so expertly. cheryl knows when toni wants it sweet and passionate or when she wants it rough and heated. she knows when to let toni take control a bit and knows when she wants to be dominated. right now is the latter.

"i want you so bad." cheryl groaned into her neck, sucking harshly at the skin but moving to a different area before a mark could be left.

"take me baby, i'm all yours." toni whimpered. cheryl growled into her neck before trailing back up to her lips in a heated kiss, sliding her tongue in toni's mouth and exploring expertly.

cheryl used her body to push toni impossibly closer to the wall as she dug her teeth into toni's bottom lip. she tugged back and released it, watching it snap back into place before sliding her tongue across her bottom lip and slipping back into her mouth.

toni tangled her fingers in cheryl’s hair and pulled at her roots as the redhead rolled her body into toni's front, creating a teasing friction that had her whimpering for more.

"cher... baby... the bed." toni whispered between kisses but groaned when cheryl shook her head.

"nah..." cheryl trailed her lips down to her neck and dug her teeth into her skin, before bringing her lips up to her ear.

"i'm gonna take you right here." cheryl said breathily into her ear and smirked when she felt toni shudder. she placed a kiss just below her ear before traveling lower. she trailed her lips down, sucking harshly on the warm skin of her neck, before laving over the area with her tongue.

she trailed lower to nip on her collar bone before her shirt restricted her from going any further. she moved her left arm to wrap under her entire backside, using her body to help hold her up against the wall, as her right hand snuck under shirt and rested flat against her stomach.

"i want this off." cheryl growled into her neck. toni crossed her arms and curled her fingers under the hem of her shirt. she lifted it off and threw it off to the side. cheryl moved the hand resting on her stomach around her back and undid her bra with one hand. toni slid it off of her shoulders and threw it to the side to join her shirt.

cheryl now palmed both cheeks of her backside in each hand and hiked her further up the wall. she ghosted her lips over toni's breast and circled her tongue over a nipple before taking it into her mouth. she sucked fervently on her as toni arched her back causing her to take more of her in her mouth.

she switched to give the other one attention, reveling in the needy moans coming from toni before releasing her with a pop and trailing her lips back up her neck to toni's lips.

"cher... please..." toni whimpered between kisses.

"what was that?"

"please... i need you baby."

"what do you want?" cheryl asked before sucking on her pulse point. toni just groaned out and rolled her hips agsainst cheryl’s stomach as an answer and cheryl shook her head against her neck.

"uh uh. tell me what you want baby."

" _ugh_  just fuck me already." toni groaned in frustration.

"how?"

"y-your fingers."

"good girl."

toni rolled her eyes at the shiver that went up her own spine while cheryl smirked into her neck. toni never thought she was the one to have a praise kink. in fact, it's not the first time someone has said good girl to her, but it did nothing for her. but when cheryl said it for the first time she was taken back by the shudder that went up her spine and the feeling that shot straight to her core.

cheryl moved her hands to the backs of toni's knees and unwrapped her legs from around her waist and backed off the wall as she put toni down.

the second her feet hit the floor cheryl spun her around and put her hand flat on the small of her back just above her rear.

"God, you're so fine." cheryl whispered before moving her hands to her hips. she pulled her back into her front and attached her lips back to the side of her neck.

"cheryl." toni groaned as she put her hands on top of cheryl's. cheryl gripped her wrists and moved her hands to rest on the wall in front of her.

"keep ‘em there."

toni just nodded against the side of her head as cheryl dragged up hand up her arms, over her shoulders, down her side, around the front of her lower stomach. she undid the button of her black shorts and slid her right hand down into her panties. she pressed the pad of her pointer and middle finger down on her clit.

"fuck." toni gasped and pushed her ass back into cheryl's front.

cheryl pressed repeatedly on her clit, pressing with a pleasurable force that had toni's lips parted and her eyebrows furrowed.

"cheryl." she whined. cheryl knew this to be her needy moan.

"take these shorts off."

toni grabbed the waist band of her shorts and panties and slid them down her legs, wiggling to get them over her hips, causing cheryl's fingers to rub side to side on her clit. she released a drawn out moan as the two articles of clothing fell to the floor. she stepped out of them and kicked them to the side.

"back on the wall." cheryl demanded and toni put her hands back on the wall.

cheryl rubbed firm circles over her clit before dragging them down her slit towards her entrance. she circled her entrance a few times before sliding her two fingers into her wet heat.

"mmm _fuck."_

"fuck you're so wet baby." cheryl whispered into her ear before nibbling and sucking on her earlobe.

cheryl pumped her fingers in and out of toni, keeping her hand lax to avoid hitting her clit.

toni squeezed her eyes shut as she bit her lip and hummed out her moans. cheryl growled and dug her teeth into the base of her neck at the same time as she thrusted her fingers in particularly hard. toni yelped.

"come on baby. why so quiet? you said it yourself the walls are basically sound proof. let me hear you." cheryl trusted in harder and curled her fingers to press into her spot.

"huhhh  _cheryl!"_

"there you go baby. give it to me."

toni planted her hands more firm onto the wall and bucked her hips back into cheryl’s front in rhythm with her fingers. cheryl placed her free hand on toni's lower stomach just below her belly button and pulled her impossibly closer. she hummed into her neck as toni's grinded her bare backside into her front, she just wished she had took the time to take her own clothes off to feel her skin.

soon, toni started panting and cheryl felt her insides squeezing her fingers.

" _uhh... cheryl."_ toni whined in a high pitch voice as her eyebrows furrowed and her mouth parted, panting out ' _huh'_  with every thrust.

"you gonna cum for me baby?" cheryl asked sweetly and toni nodded.

"i can't hear you baby. you gonna cum for me?" she repeated.

"yes-  _fuck."_  toni bucked her ass back into cheryl harder when she felt the heel of her hand rub over clit, as her fingers pressed into her spot, thrusting in a come here motion.

"let go for me."

"oh fu-" toni's breath got caught in her throat as she pushed her ass even further into cheryl. the redhead leaned over her and rested her chin on her shoulder as she continued her thrusts to help toni ride out her high.

toni came down with a huff and cheryl slowly pulled her fingers out. she brought her fingers up to toni's lips. toni wrapped her lips around her fingers and moaned as she sucked her arousal off. cheryl dug her teeth into her bottom lip and pressed a kiss to toni's neck before spinning her around and sucking messily at her lips.

"bed now."

-

"hey baby?" toni asked as she laid on cheryl's bare chest, drawing patterns on her collar bone.

"hmm." cheryl answered as her chin rested on the top of toni's head.

"have you ever thought about finding your birth parents?"

toni felt cheryl shift underneath her and she tilted her hand back to look up at her.

"you don't have to answer, i was just wondering, sorry for prying-"

"no, i just- why do you ask?" toni raised up on her elbow to look down at cheryl.

"i was just wondering if you've ever thought about finding them."

"no, i never have and why should i? they didn't care enough to keep me why should i care enough to find them."

"well maybe it wasn't that they didn't want to keep you rather they couldn't."

"either way, you don't understand how hard it was at the age of 6, being dropped off at an unfamiliar house with people you don't even know. waving bye to your parents who you would never see again. they just left me there and didn't come back for me."

toni just stared at her as cheryl eyes started to water. she's never seen cheryl cry before and it broke her heart. she was kicking herself for bringing up this topic now.

"hey, i'm sorry." toni leaned down and pressed a slow kiss to the corner of her mouth. "i shouldn't have brought it up. i'm sorry."

"no it's okay. these are conversations i've only ever had with veronica. you're my girlfriend and we should talk about these things too."

toni's lips curled up into a small smile and she leaned down to press her lips to cheryl’s forehead, and to her cheek before snuggling on the pillow right next to her. cheryl turned on her side and toni mirrored her position, and tangled their legs together. cheryl leaned forward and placed a light, lingering kiss to her lips. toni trailed her finger up and down her spine as cheryl rubbed slow circles over her rear and up the small of her back.

they pulled away from their kiss and rested their foreheads against each other. it was silent for awhile as their hands exploring each other's back.their foreheads stayed connected and their eyes were closed.

"toni." cheryl suddenly whispered, breaking their comfortable silence and pulling back to look in her eyes.

"yeah?"

"there's something i need to tell you."

cheryl swallowed as toni just looked at her with anticipation. she wanted to say it. God, she wanted to say it. this was a perfect moment and it was right on the tip of her tongue. but she chickened out at the last second.

"i... i'm just so fucking glad that you're in my life. i don't know what i'd do without you."

toni could've said it too. she wanted to. she's been wanting to for some time now. and she can feel it. she knows cheryl feels the same way. but she also knows that she is the first person that cheryl would say those words to, so she just waited.

"i'm so glad you're in my life too. you're my everything baby."

they would have their chance to say it. even if they didn't say it right now, they would say it soon. toni can feel it and cheryl can feel it. everything with them was so great right now. basically perfect. they were just so fucking happy.

but tomorrow is the fourth of july, and they didn't know it yet but a long and trying day was ahead of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what are the topaz's hiding?...... 
> 
> see you either tomorrow or wednesday :)


	15. baby you're a firework (pt. 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here's part two of this chapter. some shit's going down.

cheryl woke up to the feeling of pillowy lips on her face. she fluttered her eyes open as she was met with toni's eyes, a hazel color due to the sunlight flooding into the room. she hummed as toni leaned forward to place a soft kiss to her lips, pulling away slowly.

"good morning beautiful." toni rasped out and a shiver ran down cheryl's spine at the deep raspiness in her voice. her ultimate weakness, that she will never get used to or tired of.

"mmm good morning. how long have you been up?"

"only about 20 minutes, i would've woke you up but you look so beautiful when you sleep."

"you flatter me." cheryl smiled.

toni leaned in for what was meant to be a peck, but cheryl grabbed the back of her neck and started to move her lips against her. toni hummed and melted in the kiss.

"mmm as much as i would love to continue this, i'm pretty sure my parents will be waiting for us at breakfast." toni said, giggling as cheryl snuck in another kiss.

"ugh, fine. but i need some motivation to get up."

toni chuckled and rolled her eyes as cheryl puckered her lips. toni leaned down to place one, two, three pecks to her lips.

"there now come on." toni said as she stood from the bed, still naked from last night. cheryl licked her lips as she watched her walk towards the bathroom.

"damn girl look at that ass." cheryl said as toni reached the door to the bathroom. toni flipped her hair over her shoulder as she turned back to look at her girlfriend with a smirk.

"if you get up i'll let you shower with me."

"you should've led with that." cheryl said as she threw the covers off of her and stood from the bed.

"but no funny business."

"yeah we'll see." cheryl said as she smacked her rear before entering the bathroom.

-

"hmm what took you two so long?" fangs sneered as cheryl and toni walked into the kitchen. toni shot him the middle finger as she and cheryl sat down at the smaller wooden table in front of the windows.

"good morning everyone." toni greeted.

"good morning. cheryl how did you sleep?" mrs. topaz asked.

"i slept very well, thank you."

"i bet you did- mmph" fangs mumbled and toni kicked his shin under the table.

two members of the kitchen staff set plates in front of the couple, whole grain toast and eggs over easy. toni noticed cheryl looking at her plate apprehensively.

"hey andre!" toni called.

"yes." he answered as he walked over to her.

"my baby doesn't like her eggs over easy, can you scramble some for her please."

"toni you didn't have to-"

"nonsense." andre interrupted. "you are a guest in this house and we all want you to be comfortable. i wouldn't force you to eat something you don't like. so two scrambled eggs coming right up."

"thank you so much." cheryl smiled as andre made his way back to the kitchen.

"so what's the plan today?" toni asked as she smeared apple butter on her toast.

"well all the shopping is done. the staff will start decorating around 2. so we can just relax until the guests start to arrive at 4:30."

"alright great, cause there's something i really wanna do with you." toni said, facing cheryl.

"what is that exactly?"

"teach you how to drive."

-

"wow so you were really serious?" cheryl asked as they walked out of the front door to toni's car running and waiting for them in the driveway.

"yes, i've been wanting to teach you how to drive since forever but new york roads are not the best place to do that for your first time."

"but your  _mercedes?_  this is a very expensive car."

"and i trust you with my life. and hey if something goes wrong that's what insurance is for."

cheryl stuttered her steps and just stared down at the silver convertible. toni grabbed her hand and pulled her forward.

"come on babe you'll be fine. i've been driving since i was 16, i got you." toni walked her around the the front door and gave her a quick kiss before opening the door for her.

they both got situated in the car and cheryl buckled her seat belt and took a deep breath.

"ready?" toni asked.

"nope."

"alright. put your foot on the brake and your hands at ten and two." toni explained completely ignoring cheryl's non-readiness.

"okay um which one is the brake?"

"the bigger one." toni chuckled as cheryl looked down at her feet. she pressed her foot on the brake before looking back up through the windshield.

"okay i already see a problem coming."

"already? what did i do."

"nothing yet babe but for future reference when you're driving you can't look down at your feet every time you gotta switch from the gas to the brake. so without looking put your foot in the gas. it's right next to the brake."

cheryl blindly searched for the gas pedal. she pressed it down and gasped when she heard the engine rev.

"alright. now put your foot back on the brake, and move the gear shift from park to drive."

cheryl pressed down on the brake and reached her hand over to the gear shift. she pulled it down until it was at the D, and put her hand back on the wheel.

"okay, take a deep breath and slowly lift your foot off the brake."

cheryl drew in a shuddering breath and she slowly lifted her foot off the brake. the car rolled only a few inches before cheryl gasped and slammed her foot back on the brake, causing them to thrash forward and slam back into the seats.

"sorry sorry-"

"that's okay, just relax baby. it's easier than you think. just relax and try again, slowly."

cheryl closed her eyes and took a long deep breath. she slowly lifted her foot of the brake as the car started to roll forward.

"there you go. now turn the wheel a little to the left and give it a  _little_ gas, and go down the driveway"

"okay." cheryl shakily turned the wheel to the left and pressed lightly on the gas. her heart skipped a beat when the car sped forward. she was barely going five miles an hour but her heart was racing. she can't believe she's driving a car let alone a mercedes.

"okay now ease the brake down and stop when we get to the end of the driveway."

cheryl put her foot on the brake but pressed down a little too fast and the car jerked to a stop.

"that's okay, ease off the brake just a little and gently press down when you get closer to the end of the driveway."

cheryl did as she was told and slowly but surely reached the end of the driveway.

"okay you're gonna turn right. so listen, turn the wheel all the way to the right and ease off the brake and just let the wheel go."

" _what?"_

"trust me."

"okay." cheryl did as told, turning the wheel all the way to right and let go of the wheel, still keeping her hands on it but not quite holding it like toni showed her. she slowly eased off the brake and and the car started to turn while the wheeled turned back around on its own.

"told you. now grab the wheel and press down on the gas. this will be easy, all you gotta do is keep the wheel straight."

cheryl nodded and pressed down on the gas, holding the wheel tightly as the car rolled forward. 

"good now just keep straight, relax, and give it just a little more gas. you're doing great."

cheryl finally started to relax as she drove down the road. they were on private property so she didn't have to worry about any other cars. she was only driving like 15 miles an hour but it was giving her such a rush. she felt so care free and happy, especially when toni let the top down. and especially when she felt her hand resting on her thigh. she had to focus extra hard on the road then.

after about 15 minutes of driving up and down the road, and up the driveway, around the fountain to practice her turning, toni instructed cheryl to park the car on the street beside and towards the back of the mansion, the pool in full view.

now cheryl found herself leaning her butt against the car, hands wrapped around a small waist and her girlfriend stood in between her legs, lips moving together. they honestly couldn't get enough of each other. but they're still in the honeymoon phase so it's okay.

"thank you for this babe. i honestly didn't know how much fun driving could be." cheryl said once they pulled away from their short make-out.

"no problem baby. soon you'll be ready for a license."

"oh please, i'm nowhere near ready to be on any road in the city."

"i said soon. not real soon but soon." toni laughed and cheryl just shook her head with a chuckle.

"but seriously babe. this weekend has been great so far. and your parents really like me, so that makes me feel really good. their approval was one of the only things on my mind this weekend."

"and what was the other?"

_telling you i love you._

"just... spending time with you, of course. i love my uninterrupted toni time."

"i love it too."

God, they were just throwing that word around but couldn't just seem to say it about each other. they have had so many perfect moments to say it, but for some reason they haven't. they were waiting for that perfect moment, and they would know it when they know it.

"so um..." cheryl started bringing the both of them out of their thoughts. "when your mom said guests? who all did she mean?"

"just some of my family, a couple aunts and uncles, some cousins, some family friends."

"are you fucking serious?" cheryl asked with raised eyebrows.

"what?"

"i was nervous as it is just meeting your parents, now you're telling me i gotta meet your whole family tomorrow."

toni chuckled and leaned forward to place a kiss to the corner of her mouth.

"not my whole family, just part of my family. and my parents love you so i have no doubt the rest of my family will too."

cheryl just nodded her head with an okay.

"shall we head back to the house? start getting ready for the cookout?"

"yes, but you're driving, i'm done." cheryl and toni laughed as they settled back into the car and toni drove back to the garage.

-

"you guys are really that couple huh?" fangs asked as toni and cheryl walked out to the backyard.

they were matching color schemes. cheryl was wearing solid navy and white striped shorts and a white crop top with white converse. toni was wearing a navy and white striped romper with white flip flops.

"hey we look adorable." cheryl shot back.

"plus you and joaquin are literally matching too." toni said.

fangs looked down at his outfit, white shorts and a navy blue button up, only buttoned half way and the sleeves rolled up, and white vans. he looked at his boyfriend's outfit from across the pool, white pants and a navy tank top, and white chucks. not to mention they're both wearing fedoras.

"thanks for stealing our color by the way." toni added.

"okay first of all, this was unintentional. second of all, we look way better in navy than you do." fangs teased.

"yeah yeah whatever. but we gotta get a picture later."

"bet!" fangs agreed before excusing himself.

"you look so beautiful by the way." cheryl said.

"so do you baby." toni leaned in to give her cheek a quick kiss.

they're about 15 minutes in to the cookout and so many of toni's family is already present. toni grabbed cheryl's hand and walked her around to meet everyone. she was shaking with nerves but toni never let go of her hand. and after meeting the 7th family members her nerves were completely gone. everyone was so welcoming and nice. and she got many compliments on her appearance, and only two speeches about ' _take care of our toni'_ and things like that.

it was so nice. this is the first fourth of july she's spent at an actual cookout with lots of people in a real backyard. usually the holiday is spent in either she and ronnie or sweet pea and reggie's apartment and the boys cook some burgers or they order food, then take the subway to watch the fireworks.

things have just changed so much. she never imagined herself dating a rich girl, spending the fourth of july with said rich girls family, at her mansion, driving a mercedes, and drinking chardonnay pool side.

she sipped the expensive wine as she sat in a lawn chair in between her girlfriend and fangs, watching toni's younger cousins splash around in the pool. suddenly there was an announcement from toni's dad saying the food was ready.

"want me to make you a plate baby?" toni asked as she sat up from her chair.

"i can make my own plate-"

"i know you  _can,_ but chill, i got you." toni winked and cheryl just smiled as her girlfriend walked towards the outdoor kitchen.

_God, i'm so lucky to have her._

a couple minutes later, toni returned with a plate with everything on it. she handed it to to cheryl and bent down to place a kiss to the top of her head before informing her that she's going back to fix her own plate.

toni walked back to the outdoor kitchen and picked up another plate and started stacking food on it.

"well if it isn't toni topaz."

she heard her name being called and looked over and spotted the man who the voice belonged to coming down the stairs from the ground level balcony.

" _chuck?_  what- what are you doing here?" toni asked unenthusiastically.

"what? an old family friend can't come over for the fourth of july? your parents invited me."

"of course they did." toni mumbled to herself. now she knows why they had that look when they first met cheryl. and they fucking lied to her. oh they're gotta get an earful.

"well? can i get a hug?" he asked with a smirk as he held his arms open. toni rolled her eyes and stepped into his arms pulling away after a second.

"you look amazing by the way."

"i know." toni said shortly as she went back to fixing her plate.

"ah there's rich bitch from high school. that's the girl i know. still haven't changed a bit i see."

"actually i've changed tremendously but that is none of your concern."

"aye come on. why so hostile today? Its been forever and i came to reconnect with you. i mean, no one forgets their first right."

"oh believe me, i've tried. and you can save all of that. there will be no reconnecting happening today, tomorrow, or ever. i have a girlfriend and she's here."

"oh yeah, i forgot you were into girls too. is she hot? maybe i should introduce myself."

"you are so gross, absolutely not." and with that toni walked away from a laughing chuck.

-

cheryl squinted her eyes as she watched toni hug some man. she tried not to jump to conclusions and assume it's not family, but they way that guy is looking at her has her thinking that.

"hey who's that guy toni is talking to." cheryl asked, smacking fangs on his arm and pointing towards the outdoor kitchen.

"chuck? he and his parents are old family friends but we haven't seen them in years."

"chuck?  _that's_  chuck?" cheryl asked with raised eyebrows. she and toni have shared everything about their past relationships and she knows all about chuck.

"yep. that's chuck."

cheryl just took a deep breath as she kept her eyes on her girlfriends ex. she remembers toni telling her about how they only dated for 5 months, about how he was her first, and about how he cheated on her at their junior prom with some cheerleader.

toni started making her way back over to her and cheryl tried to calm her facial features and smile back when toni smiled at her.

"hey, everything okay?" cheryl asked as toni sat her plate down next to cheryl.

"everything is good. fangs can i talk to you for a sec?" toni said through a fake smile that fangs easily recognized. he nodded his head and stood up from his chair and followed toni away from cheryl towards the steps that led up to the balcony.

"did you know about this?" toni asked with her arms crossed.

"what? that your high school ex boyfriend would be here? no. why don't you asked mom and dad."

"ask mom and dad what?" mr. topaz asked and he and his wife walked up to their kids.

"chuck is here? is that why you looked so weird when you first met cheryl?" toni accused even though she already knew it was true.

"okay, yes. we invited him to try and hook you guys up cause you've been single for a while and we had no idea that you were bringing cheryl or anyone for that matter." mrs. topaz explained.

"so you decided to play match maker?"

"well... yeah." mrs. topaz answered.

"yeah and we couldn't just call and un-invite him the day before. that would be rude." mr. topaz added.

"well you couldn't have given me a warning or something? i asked you about it last night, you could've told me then."

"well we didn't want to make it weird or give you a reason not to come to the cookout."

"so you figured a surprise visit from my jerk ex boyfriend would be the better solution?"

"look we're so sorry sweetie, we didn't think it through-" mr. topaz started before toni interrupted him.

"you're a lawyer and neurosurgeon. how could you have not thought this through?"

"sweetie we really are sorry. we really do love cheryl and are so happy that you are happy. i'm sure chuck will understand."

"have you just met chuck?" toni rolled her eyes and turned her head to look back towards her girlfriend and she furrowed her brows on anger. "oh hell no."

-

cheryl sat there and continued eating her food as toni talked to her brother and parents. she had no doubt they were talking about chuck, and she could tell it wasn't a pleasant conversation by the way toni's arms were crossed.

suddenly she saw the man of conversation walking towards her. she's so glad she wearing sunglasses to hide her eye roll.

"umm, hi." chuck greeted.

"hi." cheryl answered simply, and she stifled a groan when he sat down in the lawn chair next to her.

"so, are you the girlfriend? i saw toni was over here and i just assumed."

"you've assumed correct."

"well, i'm chuck. i'm an... old friend of toni's." cheryl said with smirk that made cheryl want to punch him right in the nose.

"oh i know all about you chuck. toni told me everything."

chuck licked his lips and chuckled as he dropped his head and ran his hand along his waves.

"well we were in high school you know. i was dumb. but i've grown, and i really wanted to show her just how much."

"wow you are really sure of yourself huh? well that's too bad, she's taken."

"yeah we'll see about that."

cheryl was about to retaliate when her girlfriend walked over to them.

"chuck, what are you doing?" toni asked as she stood in front of the lawn chairs with her arms crossed and an eyebrow raised.

"relax, i was just introducing myself to your gorgeous girlfriend." chuck said as he stood up and adjusted his hawiian print button up, before walking away from the two. toni rolled her eyes with a scoff as he walked past her, and she shook her head and sat down next to her girlfriend. cheryl handed toni her plate that she covered with a napkin and toni thanked her before digging in.

"he's trying to get with you." cheryl said simply.

"i'm not surprised. it's not gonna happen baby."

"i know. he still an asshole. God, i wanna punch that smirk off his face."

"hmm are you jealous?" toni teased, nudging her playfully.

"i don't get jealous. you're mine, why should i be jealous of anyone?"

toni just looked at her with this look of pure adoration, and a small smile.

"what?" cheryl asked softly.

"you are just so amazing." toni said as she leaned over and cheryl met her half way for a short peck.

cheryl isn't the jealous type because she's never had a reason to be. seeing as toni is her first girlfriend she's never gotten jealous, usually people were jealous of her. and when she said that she doesn't get jealous she said it so confidently. but she can't help that little twitch of her eye that happened when she saw toni hug chuck. she shook those thoughts from her head.

she doesn't get jealous.

she doesn't.

-

toni smiled from the staircase behind the pool as she watching her girlfriend play a game of volleyball. toni's younger cousins came over to where they were lounging and begged cheryl to play with them while tugging on her arm.

toni's heart warmed at the sight of cheryl lifting up one of little boys up to spike the volleyball over the net. and they they all cheered as she high fived them.

"wassup."

toni rolled her eyes as chuck stood next her, a little to close for her liking. she took a baby step away from him.

"what do you want?" toni said. keeping her eyes on the game happening before her.

"i just wanna talk. it's been so long-"

"my girlfriend told me what you said to her. i don't appreciate you disrespecting her like that. so what ever it is you wanna talk about you can save it for someone who cares."

"come on t, don't be like that."

"and don't call me that."

"look i was just being honest with her. come on you know i can treat you way better than her. remember that time you got the flu and i made you soup?"

"i remember you making me tomato soup which i told you i hate."

"and we laughed about that. you gotta admit we had good times together."

"yeah we did but that was 10 years ago, plus i distinctly remember you cheating on me."

"i was young and dumb. but i've grown, i've changed."

"maybe so, but i'm happy."

"look what can she provide for you. i've asked around, i know she's just a bartender and your assistant. how's she gonna provide for you financially."

"money doesn't matter to me. and her personality and amazing work ethic outweighs all of that. she is the hardest working person i've ever met. and works for everything she's earned."

"okay but that's not enough to live on. you don't want some check to check bi-"

"finish that word, i dare you." toni shot him a warning glare.

"okay okay my bad. but come on what can she do for you financially or  _physically_  that i can't."

"oh please, she's done for me what you never could."

"ha! i doubt that."

"listen you dick, cheryl is the best-"

"oh blah blah cut the crap. come on toni. she's not special enough for you. she's not good enough for you. as hot as she may be she's not me. i know you like both but why don't you leave her and give me a chance. a chance to show you that you need a real man to take care of you..."

...

"hey fangs what's going on up there?" cheryl asked as fangs as she pointed up at her girlfriend and chuck and having a, what looks like, a very unpleasant discussion.

"oh shit, i don't know but toni looks pissed. maybe we should intervene" fangs said as the two of them started to climb the stairs when suddenly their eyes went wide.

"oh shit!" fangs yelled as they ran up the rest of the stairs

...

"...a real man that can fuck you right. fingers gotta get boring right i mean ain't that why you like both. and i know you want me deep down. i know you haven't forgotten about our first time. if you didn't want me,"

he took a step forward.

"you would've told me to leave when i first got here. if you didn't want me,"

another step forward.

"you wouldn't still be entertaining this conversation."

another step.

"if you didn't want me, you wouldn't let me do this."

chuck took another step forward and toni's eyes widened when she felt rough lips on hers. she pushed him back by his chest and mustered up all the strength she could pull and punched him in jaw with a loud whack. she couldn't even feel just how bad her hand was hurting as she charged toward the man who just fell on the ground holding his jaw.

"you bitch!" he shouted.

toni was about to pounce again when she felt strong arms wrap around her and pull her back. she quickly recognized them as fangs' arms.

"and for the record she is special you  _bitch!_  and i don't need you or any other man cause i love her!" toni yelled trying to break from fangs. toni didn't even know where this anger came from, it's like all she could see was red. she's never blown up like this before. but he was disrespecting she and her girlfriend and it was as if her body was reacting before her mind could.

she felt a warm hand on her cheek, that she immediately knew to be cheryl's and she started to calm down.

"come on." cheryl grabbed toni's hand and led her away from the scene and headed towards the stairs.

"what's going on here?" mr. topaz asked jogging up to fangs.

"well this asshole just kissed your daughter and she kinda just punch him in the jaw." fangs bent down and grabbed chuck by his arm.

"alright buddy time for you to leave." fangs said and he ushered chuck out of the backyard.

-

toni hissed as cheryl placed an ice pack, given to her by chef andre, on her already bruising knuckles.

"i know this may not be the time, but seeing you punch him was kinda hot." toni breathed out a laugh with a shake of her head.

"but seriously babe, i've never seen you like that before. are you okay?"

"other than my hand hurting, yeah. and i honestly don’t know what came over me, but he deserved it."

"he's just lucky i didn't get my hands on him for kissing my girl."

"it's 2019, i still can't believe men like him exist. like  _ugh._ he had the nerve to say you can't fuck me right when you're the only one to ever make me-" toni stopped herself and scoffed and shook her head. cheryl didn't even need toni to finish that sentence. she already knew.

cheryl ran the back of her fingers down toni's cheek before cupping her chin with her pointer finger and thumb. she leaned down to kiss her slowly.

"well, i appreciate you standing up for me. and I’m sorry he kissed you."

"i got you baby. and believe me so am i, that’s why i’m more into girls."

-

the loud booms in the air couldn't compare to the loud booming in cheryl's heart. she stood with her arms wrapped around her favorite body, as toni leaned back into her chest, as they watched the firework show.

this girl in her arms shouted that she loved her just 5 hours ago. after the whole situation with chuck and taking toni to ice her hand, she hadn't really processed that toni had said those words out loud, until just now. she didn't say them directly to her but she said it.

cheryl had been so nervous to tell toni. she was excited and couldn't wait to tell her, but she had kept chickening out and she didn't know why. maybe deep down she was afraid that toni wasn't there yet. but now she knows that toni is 100 percent there. there is nothing keeping her from saying it.

cheryl wrapped her arms tighter around toni and leaned forward to press a kiss to her cheek and another to her jaw before placing her lips right next to her ear.

"i love you."

cheryl felt toni stiffen before she turned around in her arms, her eyes filled with shock but also love, that cheryl knew she already possessed. she wrapped her arms around her lower back while toni threw her arms around her shoulders.

"you're the first woman i've ever said this to, and i have never meant something more in my entire life. i never knew what love felt like because i've never been in it before, but the way i feel about you... i am in love with you toni topaz."

toni looked at her in pure wonder and adoration as her lips curled up into a toothy grin.

"cheryl... i am so in love with you. you are truly  _the best_ thing that has ever happened to me. i love you cheryl blossom."

no more words were spoken, and the fireworks going off in the sky didn’t compare to the fireworks going off in their hearts as they kissed.

-

and the fireworks definitely didn’t compare to the fireworks they were currently making in toni’s bed.

If cheryl thought their sex was indescribable before,  _this_ …  _fuck…_ this was on a whole other level. this was euphoric. this was intoxicating. it was like she was transported to another realm as she and toni rocked into each other.

this was slow, soft, passionate. cheryl felt like she wanted to cry. she stared down into toni's soft eyes, not once did they break the contact as they built each other up  _so slowly_. but the coil in her stomach was tighter and more intense than ever.

this here. this feeling. this is what cheryl meant when she told veronica she wanted more a few months ago. she wanted compassion, tenderness. and yeah, the rough heated sex is always fun and so fucking incredible. but this wasn't just sex. it's never been  _just sex_  with toni, it's always been closeness and connection even when it was heated. but this... this was making love. cheryl's only seen it in movies and tv shows. the gentle caresses and the longing gazes, even the tears. cheryl thought it was all bullshit. but now, here in this moment, she understands. she feels it. she is so in love. she is so  _deeply_  in love.

"i love you so much." cheryl whispered as her eyes watered. she tried to hold her tears back but one sneaked out when she blinked.

toni leaned up to press a tender kiss to where the tear was sliding down.

"i don't cry." cheryl joked as toni nudged her nose against her cheek before attaching her lips to her neck.

"i love you." toni mumbled into her neck.

she's never felt this either. cheryl is so good to her in more ways than one. and she feels so loved. just so absolutely loved. especially in this moment. even their first time wasn't this soft. and cheryl was crying. God, the emotion she felt right now. the pure love radiating off her girlfriend.

cheryl was showing her just how much she loved her as she worshipped her body. and toni poured every once of love she felt for the redhead on top of her into every thrust.

they held onto each other as if they were to let go they would surely float away. it already felt like they were on cloud nine.

neither of them had to say they were close. neither of them had to tell the other to cum. they could feel it. the slow burning stretch getting tighter and tighter as they moaned in harmony. they knew when to cum and they both held each other as tight as possible and tried to press impossibly closer to each other as they fell over the edge at the same time. it felt like falling into a wave pool. wave after wave flowing through them and carrying them through the ocean of absolute blissfulness. they breathed out i love you, over and over as the waves got slower and smaller.

they kissed. it was slow, but attentive. lazy but tender. their tongues pressed together lightly. cheryl hummed as toni flipped her onto her back. cheryl smiled up at the beautiful eyes of her love.

she hummed and melted into the kiss pressed to her lips. she sunk deeper into the bed as those lips painted her pale skin, lower and lower. she relaxed and ran her fingers through soft hair as her girlfriend worshipped her still sensitive area.

this was pure heaven. cheryl wanted to feel this feeling forever. she wanted to make love to toni forever.  _this is the love of my life,_  she thought as she released a high pitch sigh.

as she succumbed to the pleasure her girlfriend was giving her, all she could think about how fucking in love she is. and the love she feels flowing out of toni and into her.

this is it.

_this. is. it._

_-_

cheryl woke up the next morning to the feeling of a soft back pressed into her chest, and fingers intertwined with both of her hands. her left arm, that was tucked under toni's neck, was tingling due to loss of circulation but she didn't care.

last night she said i love to her girlfriend for the first time. hell, last night she said  _i love you_ for the first time period. and she was still on a high, because toni said it back. she was in love. she was really in love. and someone was in love with her.

she was so elated. no more one night stands. no more drunken hookups. no more walks of shame. no more regret. she was in a loving relationship, and it was the best feeling ever.

she wrapped her right hand tighter around toni's stomach and leaned forward to place soft kisses to her shoulder and neck until she felt toni moving and groan quietly.

"mmm good morning." toni croaked out as she pulled cheryl's hand up to place a kiss to the back of it.

"good morning my love...  _ugh_  it feel so good to say that." cheryl rasped out, pressing another kiss to her cheek. toni turned around to face her and leaned in to kiss her. cheryl latched onto her bottom lips and sucked on it before moving them against toni's.

"this has been the best weekend ever." cheryl whispered against her lips.

"agreed. but unfortunately we gotta bet back to work tomorrow."

"ugh, don't remind me cheryl groaned."

toni chuckled and placed three pecks to her lips before climbing out of the bed.

"how about a nice relaxing bath before we pack and head home.

"i would love that."

-

"please come back and visit us soon." mrs. topaz said as she hugged cheryl goodbye in the foyer of their home.

"we definitely will." toni said as she hugged her dad.

“absolutely. this has been such an amazing weekend. thank you so much for your hospitality.”

"oh of course sweetie. and we are so sorry about chuck. we didn't know he was going to act like that." Mrs topaz said with guilt in her eyes.

"it's okay mom, really." toni said as she hugged her mom goodbye and cheryl hugged her dad.

"well, drive safe and let us know when make it back home." mr. topaz said.

"we will dad. bye love you both."

"bye mr. and mrs. topaz. i can't wait to come visit again."

"we can't wait either. bye!" mrs. topaz said as the older couple followed the younger couple out the door towards the already running car waiting for them, fangs and joaquin waiting by their motorcycles.

just before they reached their car a black bmw pulled around the fountain and stopped right behind them. toni furrowed her brows and looked back at her parents who also shrugged in confusion.

the driver side door opened and chuck stepped out sporting a busted lip. toni squinted at him but looked smugly at the cut she caused.

"aye bro what the hell do you think you're doing." fangs said walking briskly towards chuck as he approached them.

"i come in peace." he said raising his arms in surrender.

"fangs." toni said, calling him off and he sighed and stepped to the side as chuck stopped in front of the couple.

"i came here to apologize. i begged your security to let me through the gate. toni, i am so sorry for disrespecting you and forcing myself on you. that was so disgusting of me. clearly you're happy and i should've never tried to move on you. that was wrong on so many levels. cheryl, i’m sorry for kissing your girlfriend and sorry for thinking that i could steal her away from you. that was very childish of me. i'm sorry for disrespecting you both and for trying to diminish your relationship. and mr. and mrs. topaz, I’m sorry for causing a scene at your home. that was very disrespectful of me and i'm just… really sorry. i had one too many before coming yesterday but that is no excuse. i don't expect you accept my apology and i'd be shocked if you did, i just wanted to tell you that i'm sorry."

chuck stood there staring at the couple in front of him as they just stared back. when a few seconds passed and no one said anything he accepted defeat and nodded before making his way back to his car.

"chuck." toni called and he stopped in his tracks and turned back to face them.

"you're an asshole and you need to grow up. drunk or not your behavior was unacceptable. you're 27 years old, it's time to start acting like it." toni lectured.

"you're right."

"and i'll only accept your apology if my girl does." toni said turning to look at cheryl. chuck looked at her with hopeful eyes and she sighed.

"whatever. i still have my girl, and i love her so sure i accept your apology."

"thank you." chuck said simply before looking at toni.

"well then i do as well. but you can consider our friendship over."

"and that's fair. i hope you two have a happy life. take care." chuck nodded and finished the walk back to his car and drove off.

"well enough of the dramatics. bye mom and dad." toni waved one last time to her parents before opening the door for cheryl and settling in the drivers seat.

"ready to go home babe?" toni asked after grabbing cheryl's hand from across the console.

"home is wherever you are." cheryl smiled.

"i love you."

"i love you too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fooled y'all with that one huh? don't worry we will be meeting forsythe soon. next chapter is going to be very emotional and angsty.


	16. why didn't you want me?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one is angsty and emotional (smut warning in the beginning)
> 
> also as stated in my last update for the college fic i am going on vacation so the next update for this won't be for a couple weeks. and i'll try to write a little while on vacay if i get bored, but no promises.

"fuck!" cheryl breathed out as she leaned her head back against toni's office chair.

it was lunch time in the office on a wednesday and toni decided she wanted to eat something else, and cheryl was definitely not going to turn her offer down.

toni pressed one last kiss to her center before emerging from under skirt with cheryl's arousal coating her mouth and chin.

"come here." cheryl commanded and toni rose to her feet before straddling her lap. cheryl cupped her cheeks and brought her face to hers and got to work cleaning her mess off toni's face before sucking on her bottom lip. she trailed her hands down toni's back, groping her backside before moving them to her thighs.

she hiked her skirt farther up until it was bunched up around her waist. she moved her left hand to her lower back and her right hand to her front. she slid her panties to the side and and dragged her fingers up through her folds.

"shit." toni gasped quietly into her neck as her hips bucked forwards.

in no mood for teasing, cheryl immediately slid two fingers into her and pressed her thumb on her clit, seeing as they were on a time constraint. her thrusts her hard and fast, using her free hand on her lower back to keep her close. toni was digging her hands into cheryl's shoulder blades.

suddenly toni's alarm went off.

"shit we o-only have f-five-  _fuck-_  five minutes."

cheryl sped her fingers up to breakneck speed and pressed harder into her clit and toni was whimpering and dug her teeth into cheryl's shoulder to keep herself from moaning out loud.

"are you gonna be a good girl and cum for me?" cheryl asked sweetly into her ear before pressing a kiss just below it.

toni grunted in a high pitch tone and nodded against her.

"i can't hear you?" cheryl said as she curled her fingers into toni's spot.

" _fuck_ \- yes cheryl  _yes_."

"then do it baby. give it to me."

toni whimpered and dug her teeth into cheryl's shoulder as her hips bucked forward. cheryl slowed her thrusts down as toni came, rubbing her fingers against her frontal wall and rubbing slow circles into her clit with her thumb. she peppered sweet kisses up and down her neck until she fully came down.

cheryl slowly removed her fingers and shoved them into her mouth to clean off her arousal, moaning at the lingering mixed taste of herself and toni. toni leaned up and leaned forward kiss cheryl.

"fuck. i don't know how i'm gonna concentrate for the rest of the day." toni giggled against her lips. cheryl giggled back and wrapped her hand around the back of her neck and deepened the kiss for a few seconds before pulling away.

"just think, when the day is over you can come back to my place and we can finish this quickie properly."

"ugh baby that's not helping." toni whined playfully.

cheryl leaned forward for a quick peck and patted her backside telling her to get up. they both stood from the chair and fixed their clothing, hair and makeup.

cheryl sprayed febreze around the office as toni checked her phone.

"with one minute to spare." toni announced as cheryl put the can of spray back in her cabinet.

"alright, enjoy your meeting, i'll be out here if you need anything." cheryl said as she walked up to toni.

"thank you baby. love you."

"love you too." they leaned in for one last peck before cheryl exited her office, leaving the door open. not everyone was back from lunch yet, and those who were, were either eating in their own offices or in the break room. something that cheryl was so thankful for.

since pretty much everyone knew that cheryl and toni were dating they tried to keep their office hookups to a minimum, maybe twice a month. and any other time cheryl was in her office they kept the door open so nobody would get suspicious. they've also been really good at only talking about work in the office to keep it professional, unless they were on a lunch break.

as cheryl settled down at her desk she smiled as kevin walked passed her, returning his wave. he knocked on toni's door with a smile.

"kev, come on in, please close the door." kevin did as he was told and sat in the chair in front of toni's desk. he set a black folder on top of it and slid it forward. she grabbed it and opened it and started reading the content inside with a satisfied smile.

"everything is all set. and you can move forward by monday the week after next."

"excellent. thank you kevin."

-

"hey baby?" toni rasped out as she trailed her fingers up and down cheyrl’s bare back.

after work the couple left and headed straight for cheryl's place. veronica wasn't home so they decided to cook some dinner together, which resulted in cheryl grabbing toni from behind and kissing her neck, which resulted in toni turning away from the pan on the stove, which resulted in cheryl lifting her up on the counter, which resulted in cheryl's apartment almost being burned down.

they decided to put it on pause to finish cooking and eating before leaving their dirty dishes behind and rushing into cheryl's room to finish what they started.

two hours later they found themselves laying sideways on cheryl's bed, facing each other, cheryl slowly tracing toni's face with her pointer finger, while toni trailed her fingers up and down cheryl's back. the room completely silent and peaceful until toni broke the silence.

"yeah?" cheryl whispered.

"have you... thought more about finding your birth parents?" toni pressed cautiously.

"i- no i haven't."

"don't you ever wonder where they are?"

"no. and quite frankly i don't care." cheryl said, her voice getting harder, and her body stiffening.

"but haven't you ever-"

"toni, why are you trying to push this on me?" cheryl said raising up on her elbow and scouting back from their embrace.

"baby, i'm not. but i'm just saying if i were in your shoes-"

"but you're not toni, and you will never understand what it's like to be in shoes."

"baby i'm just trying to help."

"well i don't want your help." cheryl snapped and toni winced.

"not about this at least. you don't get it babe. you say if you were in my shoes but you could never understand how it feels to be in my shoes, how it feels to grow up without parents. they could've found me too but they didn't, so neither am i. now can we drop this please?" cheryl finished flopping onto her back and toni was frozen. cheryl has never talked to her like that and it honestly made toni scared. she was really just trying to help but now she fears she might have pushed too hard.

"i'm sorry." toni whispered, looking at cheryl whose eyes were locked on the ceiling.

"do you want me to leave?"

cheryl hated how soft and timid toni's voice sounded right now. she rubbed her eye with the heel of her hand and released a sigh before turning to face toni. she rubbed her hand down her arm and could see her visibly relax.

"of course not baby. and i'm sorry for snapping. i guess i never realized how sensitive the topic still is. it's just that... i'm afraid. i'm afraid that if i were to ever contact them they wouldn't want to see me or meet me, and then i'd have to deal with that hurt all over again."

toni nodded in understanding. she didn't really think about that. cheryl was right, she would never understand what it was like to be in her shoes.

"i understand. and i'm sorry for pressing so hard."

cheryl just shook her head and leaned in to press a soft kiss to her lips.

"it's okay." cheryl said with a smile and toni nudged her nose with her own.

"hey, did we just have our first fight?"

"i would hardly qualify that as a fight. that was more like our first disagreement."

toni giggled and leaned forward for another kiss. their lips moving together languidly as they scooted closer to each other.

"i love you." toni mumbled against her lips.

"i love you too." cheryl said as she deepened the kiss and flipped toni onto her back.

-

cheryl had been distracted the entire work day, zoning out more times than she could count. her mind going back to the conversation she and toni had just last night. she told her to drop it but now she couldn't stop thinking about the what ifs. what if she did find her parents? what if she met them? what would they think of her? what would she think of them? would she be mad? would she be excited?

her mind replayed these questions over and over and she couldn't come up with any scenarios in which those questions were answered.

she felt so bad for not being so present at work. a few times today it took about three rings from the phone for her to even realize it was ringing. toni has asked her if she was okay but she just kept reassuring her that she was fine, not wanting to get into a personal conversation while at work.

cheryl didn't even realize it was the end of the day until she noticed toni locking up her office. she blinked herself to reality and logged out of her computer and gathered her things.

"hey, you wanna get some dinner before your shift tonight?" toni asked with a hopeful smile.

"actually babe i kind of just want to go home and crash before my shift if that's okay?"

"yeah, sure. is everything okay?" toni asked, her face struck with concern.

"yeah, i'm just a little beat from staying up so late last night, because  _someone_ couldn’t keep their hands to themselves" cheryl said jokingly and toni giggled.

"so i just want to take a nap before work." cheryl said, which was half true. they were up really late last night and she really would love to take a nap before her 5 hour shift tonight. but also she doesn't know how present she would be if she went to dinner with toni, considering how unfocused she was today.

"okay, well maybe i can stop by tonight?"

"of course you can, you know i can't get enough of this cute face."

toni blushed and looked around the office. it was mostly empty, only a few stragglers packing up their things. she turned back to cheryl and leaned in for a short peck before taking her hand and walking out of the office.

-

after being dropped off by toni, cheryl dragged herself up the steps, down the hall, and into the apartment. her best friend was sitting in the couch and greeted her with a smile, to which cheryl released a tired sigh.

"long day?" veronica asked as cheryl made her way into living and basically fell on the couch.

"the  _longest_." cheryl groaned.

"what's going on? i thought work with toni was always amazing?"

"it is, but today… _ugh_ \- i just couldn't get out of my head."

"what's wrong?"

"okay, so toni and i had a bit of disagreement last night. she thinks i should find my birth parents."

"oh wow." veronica gasped, pulling her feet onto the couch and turning to face cheryl.

"have you ever thought about finding your birth parents?" cheryl asked. she and veronica share basically everything, but this was the one topic they've tried to avoid, being sensitive for both of them.

"honestly i never thought about actually wanting to do it. but i've always wondered what would happen if i did meet them."

"would you ever want to."

"a part of me really wants to, just to find out why they gave me up."

cheryl didn't respond, she just nodded her head. she never thought about that kind of reasoning for trying to find her parents. she never thought about getting answers before. answers to questions she's had since she was six. but then comes another fear. what if the answer to that question hurts? she didn't know if she was ready for that.

so much for that nap, because now cheryl had even more on her mind.

-

her shift at the bar was a drag. the minutes ticking by slowly and it didn't help that it was a slow night. she also hated that she didn't have a lot of customers or some good music to distract her from her thoughts. she had been doing a lot of thinking today and she just wished her brain would rest.

finally, her mood perked up when she saw the love of her life walk through the door. she smiled brightly as the girl walked straight towards the bar.

"hey sexy!" cheryl cheered.

"hey beautiful." toni greeted and smiled as cheryl leaned over the bar to capture her lips, moving against them for a moment and flicking her tongue over her top lip before biting her bottom lip and pulling away.

"mmm not that i'm complaining, but what was that about?" toni asked as she swiped her thumb under cheryl's bottom lip to clean off the gloss she left behind.

"it's been and very long and tiring day and i needed a pick me up."

"i thought you were going to take a nap." toni asked as she sat down on a stool and cheryl started make her usual drink.

"i was. but then i kept thinking about our conversation last night, and i had a talk with ronnie, which made me do more thinking." cheryl explained as she poured the mixture into a glass and slid it in front of toni, receiving a thank you.

"about?"

"could you... maybe... ask your mom to help me find my birth parents."

toni blinked her eyes in shock.

"babe, are- are you sure?"

"not one bit. but i started thinking. i took a risk when i said i wanted more in life, and i got it. i took a risk when i applied at topaz with no experience other than bartending, and i got the job. i took a risk when i fell for you, even though you're my boss, and i'm the happiest i've ever been. maybe i need to take a risk with this too."

toni just smiled in amazement and placed her hand, palm up, on the counter. cheryl placed her hand in hers and toni rubbed her knuckles with her thumb.

"i'll call her tomorrow morning, and i'll be there with you every step of the way if you'll have me."

"i don't think i'll be able to do it without you."

toni raised her hand up and pressed a kiss to the back of it. cheryl was nervous as hell about this, maybe the most nervous she's ever been. she was really going to try and find her parents after 21 years. she doesn't even remember what they look like. she was terrified, but she knows with toni by her side she'll be able to do this.

-

everything happened way faster than cheryl was expecting. toni called her mom bright an early the next morning, and her mom was a good ass lawyer. she got a hold of cheryl's records and found her parents within a week. their names were penelope and clifford blossom and they lived in long island.

toni's mother had sent cheryl their email addresses. she's had the addresses for 5 days but had yet to write either of them an email. she didn't even know what she was supposed to say.

 _hi, i'm cheryl, i’m the kid you gave up 21 years ago and never looked back._ cheryl typed out, minutes after receiving the information from toni's mother. and for the next five days she had typed and deleted, typed and deleted maybe a hundred different emails.

toni had offered to help come up with something to say, but cheryl declined, saying she wants the words to be her own, but dammit she didn't think it would be this hard.

she laid awake in toni's bed at 2 am on saturday morning, her girlfriend knocked out on her chest, her phone in her hand as she stared at the dim screen of her email app. her eyes focused on the cursor blinking, losing track of how long she has been staring at it, just wishing she could just type something and hit send already.

she groaned frustratedly out loud into the quiet room and instantly felt guilty when she heard a tired groan and felt movement from her girlfriend.

"babe?" toni rasped out, moving her head back to look confusingly at her girlfriend.

"sorry, i didn't mean to wake you, go back to sleep." cheryl said quietly and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"what are you doing still up?" toni asked, completely ignoring cheryl's request of returning to her slumber. cheryl sighed.

"trying to write this stupid email. i have no fucking idea what to say."

"i know you said you didn't want my help, but just tell them who you are and that you would like to meet up."

"already? in the first email?"

"yeah. just be straight forward."

"but what if she says no."

"then we deal with it. you have me to lean on. but it's like you said. take a risk babe."

cheryl stared at toni for a few seconds before staring at her phone. she sighed again and moved her other hand from around toni's back to type with two hands, toni shifting over a bit to allow her to do so. after cheryl typed out the message she turned her phone to show toni.

"this good?"

cheryl took in a shuddering breath as toni read over the email.

"that's perfect baby. can you cuddle me now?"

cheryl shook her head with an eye roll. she hit send and placed her phone back on the bedside table and scooped toni back into her arms. she kissed the crown of her head before trailing her fingers up and down her back. soon she heard and felt her breathing even out and succumbed to the tiredness shortly after.

-

later saturday morning, while eating breakfast in toni's backyard, without fangs this time, cheryl's phone vibrated on the table. she went to pick it up just as she raised her mug of coffee up to her lips. she turned her phone around to look at the notification and spit her coffee out.

"everything okay?" toni asked from the opposite side of the table.

"holy shit. baby." cheryl turned her phone to let toni see the notification.

"she emailed me back. what do i do?"

"open it maybe?"

cheryl brought her phone back to her face and took a deep breath. she slid the notification open and entered her passcode to open the email.

she read the email over 5 times still not believing the words she's seeing.

"what does it say?"

"hi cheryl, thank you for contacting me. i would love to meet you. where are you located?" cheryl read the email out loud.

"she would  _love_  to meet you." toni said, exaggerating on love.

"she would love to meet me. oh shit, oh shit, i don't think i can do this." cheryl breathed out her breathing starting to get heavier.

this was happening. this was actually happening. she was about to meet her birth parents. after 21 years she was about to meet her birth parents. it seemed too easy. she didn't know if she was angry or excited but she did know she was nervous as fuck.

"hey hey sure you can. come here." toni reaches over the table and pulled on her wrist. cheryl stood up front her chair and toni scooted away from the table in hers, and cheryl sat down on her lap. toni rested a hand on her outer thigh while her other hand trailed up her back.

"don't stress baby. everything is going to be fine and i'm gonna be right there with you."

"you're gonna come with me to meet them?"

"of course baby, i told you i'd be there every step of the way."

cheryl smiled down at her and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. she leaned down to place a soft kiss to her lips and another to the corner of her mouth.

"i love you."

"i love you too."

-

cheryl fiddled with toni's fingers resting in her lap as toni pulled into a parking space in front of a coffee shop. cheryl looked at the shop with a shaky breath. her parents were just through that door. if it weren't for the fact that toni was squeezing her hand she would for sure be freaking out. but toni has been so wonderful in reassuring her that everything would fine.

"you ready?" toni asked softly pulling her attention to her.

"no, but let's do it anyway."

toni nodded assuringly and pressed a kiss to the back of her hand before they exited the car. they walked hand in hand up the door. they opened the door and it jingled as they stepped inside and scanned the coffee house.

"who do you think they are?" cheryl asked as she looked at all the people at the tables and sitting on the couches.

"i'm guessing her." toni said pointing to the only red headed woman there. cheryl followed where her finger was pointing and she gasped when she saw her. she had forgotten what her parents looked like in 21 years, but seeing that woman now, she looked really familiar.

cheryl didn't know what she was feeling as toni pulled her toward the table. she was feeling a million emotions at once. nervousness, anxiousness, anger, resentment, and surprisingly excitement.

when they approached the table cheryl cleared her throat to get her attention.

"penelope?"

"cheryl?" she asked back.

"um... yeah that's- that's me."

"well, please sit, sit. sorry my husband couldn’t join us today, he couldn’t get off work, but it's so nice to meet you, or should i say, see you again."

cheryl's eye twitched at the comment and she gripped toni's thigh as an anchor under the table.

"and is this a friend of yours?"

"actually, this is my girlfriend, toni."

"oh  _oh_. well it's uh, nice to meet you as well toni."

"likewise."

"wow cheryl, you're so grown up and very beautiful. tell me about yourself, what do you do?"

"well i'm a bartender and i work at a magazine company, toni’s company actually."

"oh very cool. so tell me about your life-"

"why don't you tell me about you." cheryl said, in no mood to share with her... well, penelope, about her life. life that she missed out on.

"well i am a masseuse and my husband clifford is a realtor. we live in long island. we have a son-"

"i'm sorry you have a  _what?"_ cheryl interrupted, not believing the words she just heard. clearly she must be mistaken. clearly the people that gave her up didn't have and raise another child. clearly that can't be true.

she squeezed toni's thigh tighter and toni rubbed circles into the back of her hand to help keep her calm.

"we have a son. his name is jason. he's 20 years old. he actually looks a lot like you, fiery red hair and all. maybe you two could meet one day-"

she could feel toni trying to keep her calm when her fingers starting running up and down her forearm, but it wasn't working. all cheryl could feel now was resentment and anger and she needed answers now.

"okay let's skip the small talk. i have questions."

"oh okay. what would you like to know-"

"why didn't you want me?" cheryl rushed out before penelope could even finish her sentence.

"what?"

"why didn't you want me? why did you give me up? especially since you have a son. why didn't you want to keep me huh?" cheryl could feel her eyes watering already and she hated it because she doesn't cry.

"it's not that we didn't want to keep you. it's just, we couldn't. you didn't know because you were just a child but we were struggling. we could barely even feed you and we were evicted from the apartment we were living in. and you didn't deserve that so we gave you up to give you a better life. then a year later i got pregnant again. and we were going to give him up as well, but then my husband got a miracle job and since we were stable enough we kept him."

"so you kept him but you didn't come back for me?"

"well it had been a year we figured you would've been adopted and we didn't want to make that hard on your or your new family. we just wanted to give you a better life."

"a better life? _a better life?"_ cheryl could hear her voice raising but she didn't care.

"ha! you know i never got adopted right? you have no idea how hard that was, being 6, 7 and 8 years old seeing all these babies and toddlers getting adopted while you were stuck there wondering if your parents were ever going to back for you. and that foster family you sent me to didn't give a fuck about me. you wanted to give me a better life? well let me tell you, my life _sucked_. the day i turned 18 my foster parents kicked me out. i've been working at a bar since i was 17 just to buy food and keep a roof over head, while you were pampering your fucking son."

cheryl could feel the tears stinging her eyes but she refused to let them fall.

"cheryl i-"

"and you had 21 years.  _21 years_ to find me but you didn't!"

"cheryl... i- i'm sorry."

"you know what, you can save your fake ass apology. i should've never contacted you. you weren't in my life growing up and i sure as hell don't need you in my life now."

cheryl stood abruptly from her chair causing it to scrape against the floor loudly and she headed for the exit, toni immediately following after her, not catching up to her until they reached her car. cheryl was tugging on the handle of the front door.

"baby-"

"can you just unlock the door please." cheryl said before toni could say anything. she just nodded and unlocked the door. cheryl slid into the front seat and slammed the door shut, causing toni to flinch as she walked around to the drivers side and settling in beside her.

before starting the car she looked cautiously over at her girlfriend and the sight broke her heart. she was trying so hard to fight off her tears. but she saw her lip trembling and a tear escaped her eye before she fully broke down.

toni grabbed her hand and pulled her into a hug. cheryl gripped toni’s shirt and sobbed into her neck. toni let a tear fall as she rubbed her fingers through her hair against her scalp. this is the first time she's ever seen cheryl cry like this and it made her heart ache. she just held her for a few minutes, not saying anything and just letting her cry, before cheryl suddenly inhaled sharply and pulled away, quickly wiping her tears away.

"babe are you okay?"

"let's just go." cheryl answers shortly.

the ride back to cheryl's apartment was silent but it wasn't a comfortable silence. it was awkward and toni could feel the tension. she wanted to say something but knew cheryl wasn't in the mood to talk right now. but the more she heard her sniffle the bigger the urge to say something grew.

toni parked outside cheryl's apartment building and they still didn't say a word as they walked up the stairs and down the hallway. toni finally broke the silence when the walked inside the apartment.

"baby?" toni said softly but winced when cheryl drew in and released a long heavy breath and her heart broke when she turned around and saw fresh tears on her cheeks.

"what?" toni winced at the dryness in cheryl's voice and the hurt in her eyes. cheryl always looked at her with bright loving eyes now they were dark, red and painful.

"are you okay?" she asked hesitantly.

"am i okay? no, i'm not okay toni. do i look okay to you?"

"no-"

"this is your fault." cheryl blurted out and toni’s eyes went wide.

"wh- my fault?"

"yes your fault!" cheryl snapped and toni flinched.

"i was good toni. i was happy. i would've been just fine never meeting her, but you just had to bring it up. you pushed this on me. this is all your fault toni!"

"baby i-i'm sorry i didn't mean to-"

"get out." cheryl said between clenched teeth.

"w-what." now toni was crying.

"get out!" she yelled.

"no. no baby i'm not gonna leave you like this."

"toni please just leave!"

"you really want me to leave?"

"yeah i really do."

toni stared deep into cheryl's eyes. she knew she didn't mean it. she knew she was just hurt and angry. and as much as she didn't want to leave she respected her wishes. as soon as toni was out the door cheryl fell to her knees and broke down.

and when toni got into her car, she broke down as well.

-

cheryl entered the bar and headed straight for the counter and slumped on to a bar stool.

"bartender.” cheryl called out and veronica made her way over to her.

"hey! how'd it go with your birth mom?"

"horrible. i need a drink. fireball, now." veronica pulled out a shot glass and filled it the brim with the brown liquid and cheryl tossed it straight back and slammed the glass back on the counter.

"another."

"not until you tell me what happened."

"turns out my birth mom had another kid a year after giving me up and they raised him but just said fuck me."

veronica looked at her in shock before pouring her another shot.

"i'm sorry boo. that must have hurt to hear."

"oh it felt like just dandy. like 6 year old me getting rejected all over again." cheryl said after throwing the second shot back.

"was toni there?" veronica asked.

"she was but you know this is all her fault."

"what? how?"

"she's the one that kept asking me about finding her. i was doing just fine never knowing her and i told toni i didn't want to find her but she kept bringing it up and now i just had my heart broken again."

"i mean sure she might have kept pushing the subject but it's not her fault, you and i both know that."

cheryl just ran her fingers through her hair and huffed before tapping the counter with the shot glass. veronica rolled her eyes, and filled her glass again.

cheryl knew veronica was right. it wasn't all toni’s fault, it wasn't really her fault at all. she really was just trying to help and cheryl felt that maybe she overreacted by kicking her out, but she was just so angry and hurt. she's still angry and hurt. and the more she thinks about it the more angry she gets and it's clouding her judgement.

"another please."

"cheryl..." veronica warned.

"either give me another shot or i'm going to another bar."

veronica really didn't want to be an enabler. she knew cheryl was just mad and not thinking clearly. but if cheryl was going to get drunk she'd much rather her do it here where she can keep an eye on her.

an hour and a lot of alcohol later cheryl was drunk.

"ronnie.... can i get some service over here." she slurred out. veronica walked up to her and crossed her arms over her chest.

"no. you're drunk and i'm cutting you off."

"oh come on..."

"no cheryl, i should have never even let you drink this much. i know you're upset but this is no way to handle it."

"well how else am i s'posed to handle it."

"quit drinking away your troubles and face them like an adult. and maybe talk to your girlfriend."

"she wouldn't wanna talk to me. i kicked her out" cheryl said dropping her head down the the counter.

"you are so dumb cheryl. you really don't get how much she loves you."

"hey hey i knowww how much she loves me."

"then why are you being an idiot and getting drunk instead of talking to her and apologizing to her."

"because i'm upset ronnie! and i don't wanna talk right now!" cheryl said standing up from her seat and stumbling to the dance the floor.

"reggie, pea. i'll handle the bar. can you two just go watch cheryl please."

"we got it." the two boys said and they stood by the dance floor to keep an eye on cheryl.

cheryl didn't know why she was acting like this and if she was sober she would know that her best friend was completely right.

-

"what if she breaks up with me?" toni asked as she rested her head on her brothers shoulder and her feet in joaquin's lap.

"toni she's not gonna break up with you over this. this is only your first fight. you know how many fights joaquin and i have had? plus cheryl loves you."

"God i just- i kept asking her about it and i should've just left it alone when she told me no back in new jersey."

"look you had good intentions, and yeah she'll be hurt for a while but she'll get over this with your help. you guys will be fine."

"how am i supposed to help her when she kicked me out?"

"she was just hurt and angry, i wouldn't be surprised if she called you tonight."

suddenly toni's phone started to ring on the coffee table in front of them. she shared a shocked expression with her brother before scrambling to get her phone, only to sigh in disappointment when she saw veronica's name. she answered the call.

"hey veronica."

_"toni you need to get to the bar right now."_

"why what's wrong? is it cheryl?"

_"yes she wasted."_

"i'm on my way." toni hung up without a goodbye and stood up from the couch.

"i have to go."

"go get your girl." fangs said encouragingly.

-

cheryl didn't even know how long she had been dancing for, or if she was even dancing at all. the room was spinning but she just kept moving her body around. she had no clue what she was doing but subconsciously, and something she will realize when she's sober, is that if she just kept drinking and dancing she won't have to face her problems.

and it's as if problems just kept finding her on this night.

"cheryl blossom."

she stumbled over her feet as she tried to locate the voice. she turned around until she was facing a woman who, although blurry, looked oddly familiar.

_please don't let it be one of my hook ups please._

"i thought i'd run into you again."

"okay i'm a little drunk so i'm having a hard time remembering who you are." cheryl slurred.

"it's jasmine."

_jasmine?_

why does that name sound so familiar.

_jasmine..._

_jasmine._

_oh shit, jasmine._

the last girl cheryl hooked up with before she decided to give that life up. she hasn't seen her since that morning she left her apartment. why of all nights did she have to pop back up tonight?

"so you gonna buy me a drink or what?" jasmine asked boldly.

"that's gonna be a hard no." cheryl slurred. "i may be drunk but i'm not an idiot. i have a girlfriend."

"ha! yeah right. you're cheryl _blossom."_

"stop saying blossom."

"you're probably just saying that cause we already hooked up once and just trying to get rid of me."

"i'm... really not." cheryl swayed and jasmine reached out her hand to catch her. when cheryl was upright she smacked her hand away.

"listen i know you're a one night stand kinda girl but what do you say we make it two nights." Jasmine said stepping closer to her.

"i said no."

"come on don't be like that." jasmine tried to reach for cheryl's hand again but it was swatted away.

"she said no, now get your hands off my girlfriend!" toni yelled as she stood in between the two.

"wait you're toni topaz, from topaz magazine." jasmine said with a look mixed with shock and fear.

"yes i am and i don't appreciate you disrespecting my girlfriend. if someone tells you no you leave them alone. now move the fuck along."

"alright my bad." jasmine said rasing her hands in surrender and backing away from the couple.

toni shot daggers at her until she was out of her sight, then she turned around to face her girlfriend.

"are you okay?" toni said grabbing cheryl by her waist to help stabilize her.

cheryl shook her head as tears welled in her eyes. she stumbled forward and put her hands on her shoulders and toni held her tighter.

"you came for me. even after-" she started.

"of course i did baby. one fight isn't gonna run me off."

"toni. i'm- i'm so sorry."

"come on, let me take you home." toni wrapped her hand around cheryl's waist and threw cheryl's arm around her shoulder and held onto her wrist. she walked her out to her car and helped her into the front seat, before settling in the drivers seat. she shot veronica a text saying she had cheryl before starting her car and heading to her apartment.

-

toni helped cheryl into her room. she laid her down on the bed and took off her shoes and her pants and helped her under the covers.

"toni… please don't leave." cheryl mumbled out, trying to lift her head but slamming it back into the pillow. everything felt heavy.

"i'm not leaving unless you want me to."

"i don't want you to leave. please stay baby. i need you."

toni took her jeans off and opened her drawer pulled out some pajama shorts for herself. when she turned around cheryl's eyes were closed. she smiled sadly at the sight.

she walked to the other side of the bed and pulled the covers back to slide underneath. once she got settled on her back she felt the bed shift and before she could process what was happening she felt lips on hers kissing her sloppily. she felt cheryl's tongue slide in her mouth and the cinnamon-y taste of fireball hit her instantly.

"mmm... cheryl..." she got out in between kissed before cheryl cupped her cheeks and moved until she was semi on top of toni.

toni lost herself for a bit and melted into the kiss as her arms wrapped around cheryl's back. it wasn't until she felt cheryl rocking onto her thigh desperately and whimpering into her mouth that she came back to reality .

"cheryl... baby... we gotta stop." toni grunted out in between kisses and pushed her back by her shoulders.

"toni please... i need you." cheryl whined and leaned down to capture toni's lips for one kiss before being pushed back again. her eyes started to water and lip started quivering and toni knew exactly what she was thinking.

"baby i know what you're thinking. i'm not rejecting you okay. you are just drunk and very vulnerable and i'm not going to take advantage of that. i know you need me and i'm right here. i'm not going anywhere. please just let me hold you and i'll be here still holding you when you wake up in the morning okay? is that okay?"

a tear escaped from cheryl's eye as she nodded her head. she laid down and snuggled her face into the crook of toni's neck. toni wrapped her arms tightly around her and placed soft kisses to anywhere on her face she could comfortably reach.

"i love you so much." toni whispered and cheryl responded with a kiss to her neck and snuggling impossibly deeper into her neck.

-

toni woke up a couple hours before cheryl does, but she hasn't moved from her current position, cheryl dead weight on top of her, her face still hidden in the crook of her neck, legs tangled together. her back was stiff and she needed to stretch her limbs but she remained still in fear that cheryl would wake up. she knew she was exhausted and needed this rest. she thought about getting up and making breakfast so she could have something to eat when she wakes up but she promised her that she would be here when she woke up, so she stayed put.

toni's heart broke for her girl. yesterday was emotionally exhausting for cheryl. it was the first time she's ever seen cheryl cry, other than the time she cried while they were making love, but never tears of sadness or pain. and it hurt toni to see her like that. she hated to see her like that and she hated that she was part of the reason.

but even after everything that has happened yesterday she feels their relationship will be stronger. they had their first fight. their first real fight. and even though cheryl kicked her out she was right there for her the second she called, and cheryl wanted her there. she still loved cheryl, maybe even more now.

she was pulled from her thoughts when she felt cheryl move and heard a light groan come from her. she felt her face moving side to side against her neck before hearing her release a breathy hum.

toni turned her face and moved a piece of her hair to tuck behind her ear. she pressed a kiss to her forehead and she saw her eyes flutter open and squint at her.

"morning." toni whispered.

"morning." cheryl rasped out, her voice hoarse from all the crying and shouting and burning liquid she threw down the day before.

"how are you feeling? headache? dizzy? nauseous?"

cheryl giggled and shook her head.

"not dizzy. not nauseous. a little headache."

toni pressed another light kiss to her forehead.

"you hungry?"

cheryl nodded while yawning, and toni breathed out a laugh.

"okay."

they just laid there for a few more moments as cheryl was still waking up. she reached her arms up to stretch out her limbs once cheryl rolled off of her to do the same thing. they both stood up from the bed and cheryl slid on some shorts before following toni out of the room.

toni grabbed her hand and led her to the couch and ushered her to sit down.

"relax babe, i got you." toni winked at her before walking away, only to return a few seconds later with two ibuprofen and a glass of water.

"for your headache." she explained.

"thank you." cheryl whispered as she took the pills from her and swallowed them both, emptying the glass of water with four gulps.

she didn't deserve toni. that's what she was thinking as she watched her work away at the stove. she blamed her for everything and literally kicked her out of her apartment yet here she was the very next morning cooking breakfast for her. she felt she didn't deserve her. toni has been so amazing to her, so loving and patient and forgiving, and for that she is truly truly grateful to have her.

toni came back into the living room with two plates of pancakes, bacon and scrambled eggs, just how cheryl likes them. she set the plates down and ran back to the kitchen, returning immediately with two cups of coffee, decaf for cheryl.

they started to dig in and it was silent for a while, other than the movie playing on the tv. when their plates were half empty, cheryl broke the silence.

"thank you so much for this baby. i really don't deserve you." cheryl said as she poured syrup on her pancakes.

"what are you talking about?"

"i was horrible to you yesterday. i just blamed everything on you and i kicked you out. and you still came to my rescue and held me all night and cooked me breakfast. i don't deserve you."

"baby-"

"wait let me say this. toni i am so sorry for getting angry at you and yelling at you. and i am so _so_ sorry for kicking you out. i didn't want you to leave but fuck, i was just so mad and hurt, but i shouldn't have taken it out on you. you didn't deserve that when you were just trying to do something nice."

"i'm sorry too. i shouldn't have pushed the matter especially if you weren't ready for that. i should've just dropped it when you told me no over the holiday, and i'm sorry for bringing up such a sensitive topic for you. seeing you break down like that broke my heart and i hate that i'm part of the reason."

"hey no, you aren't part of the reason at all. that's all on penelope. you didn't hold a gun to my head and force me to meet her. i made that decision so don't you dare apologize for that. i'm the one that should be apologizing. i should have never treated you like that especially when you did nothing wrong and i promise you baby i'm gonna make it up you.

"how?" toni asked raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

"well first, i'm going to finish this delicious breakfast you cooked for me. then..." cheryl reaches for her hand and brought it up to her lips and pressed a kiss to the back of it.

"i'm... gonna... love... every... inch... of... your... body." cheryl said lowly in between kissed as she trailed her lips up her arm and landing on her neck. she meant for it to just be a peck but when she felt toni shiver she placed open mouthed kisses up as down the column of her neck before sucking on her pulse point.

toni threw her head back with a moan. she gripped her thigh with one hand while her other hand gripped her shirt. she didn't really feel like cheryl needed to apologize because she knows she didn't mean anything she said yesterday. she could see it in her eyes.

"mmm… cheryl… you don’t mmm… you don’t have to make it up to me.” toni said moving away from her lips and cupping cheryl’s cheeks to look at her.

“you were the one that got hurt yesterday baby, let me be there for you. let me take care of you."

cheryl’s eyes started to water and she tilted her head in her hands and looked at her with the most loving eyes.

“you are so good to me toni topaz.”

toni leaned forward and placed the softest kiss to her lips. and once again, their dishes were left behind as toni pulled cheryl into her room and they spent the morning and well into the afternoon being there for each other.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i love protective toni. what’s in the black folder?... also you may be wondering why penelope wasn't completely horrible but remember it's a role reversal. until next time :)


	17. control

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm back! my vacation was lit as fuck if anyone was wondering.
> 
> in this chapter we find out what's in the black folder, and then the rest is just pure smut. i know i may be biased but this is... whew probably the best smut i've ever written. cheryl top warriors y'all gonna love this one.
> 
> really enjoy this fluffy/smutty chapter cause more angst is coming next chapter...
> 
> catch me on twitter @cheryltoepaz
> 
> ps college fic update coming in a few days

cheryl sat at her desk, her leg bounced up and down uncontrollably as she stared at toni's closed door. it's been closed since they first arrived at the office three hours ago. normally toni would tell her why she's closing her door, like if she was having a meeting or an interview, but this time toni just told her to hold all her calls and she shut the door without any further information.

this made cheryl anxious. toni and cheryl shared everything but she felt like toni was hiding a huge secret behind that closed door. it made cheryl even more anxious when she saw kevin walk in a little over an hour ago and then a man in a grey tux who she knew worked three floors below them in the corporate office.

what could possibly be happening that someone from corporate had to come up here for a meeting with toni. but more importantly why didn't toni tell her.

the desk phone rang, pulling her from her thoughts, and she jumped in surprise, but relaxed when she saw toni's name on the caller id. she answered the call professionally since corporate was in her office.

"yes, miss topaz."

_"cheryl could you come to my office please."_

"be right there." she answered as calmly as possible but released a shuddering breath once she hung up the phone.

a million thoughts were running through her mind.

_what if corporate doesn't agree with our relationship? what if they fired me? or worse, toni? but this is toni's company, they can't do that? can they?_

cheryl took a deep breath as she reached toni's door. she tried to relax. maybe toni just needed assistance with something. she tried to stay optimistic but her nerves were getting the best of her as she turned the knob and opened the door.

she walked into the office to toni sitting at her desk, kevin sitting in one of the chairs in front of her desk and the man in the grey tux standing behind toni.

"cheryl. please sit." toni said with the upmost professionalism in her voice. even when cheryl and toni talked about work in the office her voice was still light. now, it was nothing but business.

cheryl breathed nervously as she walked towards the empty chair in front of her desk. she tried to read toni's face for a look of reassurance but her face was completely neutral. she really meant business right now and all those negative thoughts came flooding in her head again. once cheryl was settled in her seat toni leaned forward and intertwined her fingers and set them on top of her desk.

"first, i want to say that your work here at the company has been exceptional. you have been the most efficient assistant in this office."

"thank you." cheryl said trying to stay calm and keep her voice professional.

"but..."

_but? oh God. oh God._

"unfortunately you can no longer remain my assistant."

_oh fuck. oh fuck. no. please tell me this isn't happening._

cheryl tried to keep her face neutral but the voice in her head was  _screaming._ she’s getting fired. she’s really getting fired. and she's being completely blindsided. corporate must disapprove of their relationship. it's gotta be the only reason. why didn't toni tell her or give her a warning or something?

"i- um- if i may, can i ask why?" cheryl was on the verge of tears and she hates it because  _cheryl doesn't cry._

"of course." toni said and she opened one of the drawers of her desk. she pulled out a black folder and opened it. cheryl studied her face as she read over the contents inside.

cheryl couldn't believe this was happening. she was getting fired. and to make matters worse she was getting fired by the woman she loves. she wanted to cry and the one person she needed comfort from was the one firing her.

"cheryl." toni said taking cheryl out of her thoughts and she snapped her eyes up to toni's.

"the reason you can no longer remain my assistant is because, we need more presence on social media, corporate has been hounding me about it, saying it could help us expand to a wider demographic, which i agree. and there is a new position for head of social media and we would like to offer you the position."

_wait what?_

_i'm not being fired?_

_i'm being promoted!?_

"i- uh- really?"

"miss blossom." the man in the grey tux started. "toni has told me just how efficient you are in the work place, and i've been watching you for a while and she was right. you work hard and you have potential. potential that was being wasted. we want to offer you the job to start immediately."

"you will have your own desk, and a higher pay raise." toni added, finally giving her a hit of a smile.

cheryl couldn't believe this was happening. just 5 seconds ago she thought she was being fire and now she was getting promoted.

"what do you say miss blossom?" the man in the grey tux asked and it took everything in cheryl to keep her emotions at bay, but that didn't stop a small smile to grow on her face.

"yes. yes. thank you so much." cheryl cheered. the man in the grey tux stepped towards her with his hand out and cheryl rose from her chair to shake his hand. he congratulated her before exiting the office.

once he was gone toni stood up from her chair and basically ran around her desk and slammed into cheryl, wrapping her arms around her in a tight embrace.

"congratulations baby." toni cheered as she pulled away.

"you scared me toni. i thought i was getting fired."

"please, i would be an idiot to fire you. i am gonna miss having you as my assistant though. you were honestly the best, but you deserve this."

"thank you toni."

"well, unpack your desk, it's moving day. kevin will help you get transitioned." toni said as kevin stood from the chair he was sitting in.

"congratulations cheryl. shall we?"

"yes." she nodded as she followed kevin out of the office, turning to look back at toni who blew her kiss. cheryl winked before exiting the office.

-

the rest of the work consisted of kevin helping cheryl transition into her new position, getting her set up at her new desk as well as creating accounts for topaz magazine on instagram, twitter, and snapchat.

she took a picture of the sign above the main office doors and posted it on all social media sites with the caption:  _welcome to the official social media accounts for topaz magazine._

she loved her new desk, it was bigger, but she was gonna miss working right outside toni's door. she was gonna miss being able to steal glances at her. but most importantly, now that she wasn't her assistant anymore, that gave her less excuses to go into her office for a quickie or a make out session. but honestly she was okay with that because she was doing more with her life.

she finally had an actual job with a title and not just an assistant. and that was one of the best feelings in the world. a few months ago she was just a bartending player with dreams, and now she's head of social media at a magazine company that her girlfriend, which she loves, owns.

when the day was over and almost everyone in the office was gone cheryl felt a pair of hands on her shoulders and thumbs rubbing circles over her blades.

"so how was your first day as head of social media?" toni asked from behind her.

"it was great. i still can't believe this happened." cheryl said as she turned around in her chair to face her girlfriend.

"well believe it. we have been planning for this new position for a while. and there was no better person for the job than you. i was going to tell you about it sooner but then everything happened with your birth mom so i decided to wait a couple days."

"well this is truly amazing. this is all i've ever wanted." cheryl started as she stood from her chair and grabbed toni's hand. she looked around as the last few people were walking out of the office.

"a real job. a girlfriend that i love. purpose. and it's all because of you. you took a chance on me in more ways than one." cheryl pulled toni closer by her arm and wrapped her arms around her lower back.

"you deserve it. all of that and more." toni said as she wrapped her hands around her neck. they leaned in for short but sweet kiss, placing three pecks to each other's lips before pulling away.

"let's go out and celebrate. my treat." toni suggested.

"nope."

"nope?"

"i just got promoted. it's _my_ treat."

"but i want to congratulate  _you._ so it's my treat baby"

"babe-"

"babe we could do this all day. let me treat you please." toni looked at her with puppy dog eyes. one thing cheryl learned about toni is that she can be really stubborn and once her mind is set on something, sometimes it's really hard to change it. so cheryl gave in.

"okay fine, you can treat me." cheryl lowered her hands over toni's backside and squeezed, pulling her closer and toni gasped.

"as long as you let me treat you later." cheryl said in a low voice before brushing her lips against toni's.

"yes please." toni whispered against her lips with a nod. cheryl placed one last peck to her lips before pulling away to gather her belongings. the two left the office hand in hand.

-

"good evening ladies. i hope you had a wonderful evening." martin greeted the couple as they walked through toni's front door.

"we did, thank you." cheryl answered.

"could you please put these in some water?" toni asked as she handed him the dozen roses that toni bought for cheryl during their stroll through the park.

"of course. will you be needing anything else for the rest of the evening?" martin asked as he took the roses from toni.

"we will not. thank you martin" toni answered.

"you're welcome, enjoy your night." martin smiled before disappearing down the hall.

they walked up the stairs and as the walked down the hallway cheryl grabbed toni by her waist and pulled her back into her front and wrapped her arms around her.

"thanks for dinner and for the roses baby." cheryl said into her neck before placing a kiss there as they walked connected towards her bedroom.

"it's no problem love."

when they reached her bedroom, toni opened the right door and as soon as they walked through cheryl kicked it closed, swiftly turned toni around and pulled her into her.

"now it's my turn to treat you." cheryl said lowly before leaning in a digging her teeth into toni's bottom lip. she tugged back gently before releasing it.

"who said  _i'm_  done treating  _you_." toni teased and quickly pecked her lips as she lowered her hands over cheryl backside and gave it a squeeze.

"i did." cheryl said firmly.

toni bit her lip and rose her eyebrow curiously. she groped cheryl's ass and attacked her lips. she had every intention of  _treating_ her girlfriend tonight, but cheryl was not having it.

her body reacted before her mind could and in a flash she gripped toni's hips, spun her around, slammed her into the door, grabbed her wrists and pinned them against the door above her head. it happened so fast and toni let out a gasp of surprise and a grunt when her back came in contact with the door. cheryl blinked and dropped her wrists.

"oh shit, i'm sorry, was that too much? it was too much, i'm sorry i-"

"cher, it's okay."

"you don't have to say it's okay just because you're my girlfriend." cheryl said as she went to back away but toni whined and pulled her back by her waist.

"cheryl... honestly, it's okay. i'm not fragile."

"i know i just- i..." cheryl trailed off. cheryl wanted to let loose, take full control, but she was hesitant to do that. she's been holding back, not giving toni her all as to not scare her or force her to do something she might not be comfortable with.

"cheryl..." toni placed her finger under cheryl's chin to make her look at her.

"i  _know_ you. and i know you've been holding back. you don't have to. i'm not gonna break baby, you can be rough with me. i  _want_  you to."

toni knows cheryl is the more dominant one when it comes to sex. toni gets to have control sometimes but honestly she'd prefer cheryl having the control. and she's been craving _more._ she wants cheryl to be rougher, she wants cheryl to unleash it. she's been trying to give her hints and tease her by saying she's in control hoping cheryl will show her that that isn't true, but she can tell cheryl is still trying to be somewhat gentle with her.

"toni... are you sure?"

"yes baby. take me. my body is yours. do as you want with it."

cheryl groaned and gripped her hips before lowering her hands back over her rear and gripping possessively.

"say that again." cheryl demanded as she bit her lip.

"take me. my body is  _yours_." toni said slowly.

"fuck." cheryl whispered and she used her hips to push toni tighter against the door. "say it one more time."

"my body is yours baby. _all yours."_

and that was it. cheryl growled and pressed a hard kiss to toni's lips. she moved her lips against hers as she grabbed her wrists and pinned them back against the door over her head. she crossed her wrists and locked them with her left hand as her right hand traveled back down her body and rested on her favorite part of toni's body.

cheryl sucked on toni's lips, causing her to whine into her mouth, before she dug her teeth into it and tugged back. she released it and trailed her lips down her jaw, placing hot open mouthed kisses to her neck. she sucked harshly on her neck as she kneaded and gripped her backside.

she moved her lips back up to toni's and enveloped her in a deep kiss. she slid her tongue into her mouth and circled it around toni's. she pulled away from the kiss with a breathless gasp and let go of her wrists to undo the buttons of toni's shirt.

when cheryl undid the third button, toni became impatient and she leaned forward to take cheryl's lips again. she was only able to place one peck to her lips before cheryl backed away teasingly. toni whined in frustration and tried to lean forward again. this time a hand wrapped around her neck and pushed her head back against the door.

"patience baby. good things come to those that wait." cheryl cooed. she tested the waters and cautiously pressed her thumb down against her pulse point.

that sent a jolt of lightning straight down to toni's core and her eyes fluttered closed as she released a moan. cheryl arched an eyebrow and her lips curled up into a smirk.

"hmm... good to know." cheryl said out loud, but more to herself.

she removed her hand from toni's neck and went back to her task of undoing her buttons. once she unbuttoned the last button she basically ripped the shirt off of toni and flung it to the side before pressing hot kisses all over her chest.

with her hands now free, toni tangled her fingers in cheryl's hair as cheryl's hand traveled all over the exposed skin of her back. when she came in contact with her bra hook she diligently unhooked it and threw it behind her.

cheryl stood up straight and trailed her hands up toni's sides until they were both trapped under her armpits. she gripped her tightly and lifted her in the air. toni wrapped her legs around cheryl waist and cheryl removed one hand from under her armpit to grip her ass before the other came down to join it. she dug her nails into her ass and hiked her up further against the door.

now face to face with her bare chest, cheryl placed pillowy but tender kisses all around her breasts, not yet making contact with her perky buds just begging for attention. toni whined and gripped her fingers through cheryl's hair tightly, inaudibly begging for her to give her nipples some attention, but it seemed like cheryl was in the mood to tease. after a few minutes of purposeful teasing her, toni couldn't take it anymore.

" _cheryl_..." toni whined frustratedly. she could feel cheryl's lips smirking against her skin.

finally, cheryl poked her tongue around to circle around the nipple of her right breast before closing her lips around it and she almost giggled when she heard toni's head hit the door.

she sucked more of her in her mouth as she rolled her tongue around the bud, every now and then tugging it with her teeth.

after about 3 minutes. she switched to the other one, giving it the same amount of attention before going back and fourth, not planning on stopping or moving anywhere else until toni was squirming and whining.

which didn't take long. cheryl was only able to switch back in forth three times before toni was bucking her hips against her stomach and whining with need.

"what's wrong baby? you seem worked up?" cheryl asked teasingly after releasing her nipple with a pop.

"fuck- i am." toni answered truthfully.

cheryl set toni back on the ground and the second her feet hit the floor she gripped her hips and slammed her further into the door.

she leaned down for a heated kiss, flicking her tongue over toni's top lip before sliding it in and out of her mouth. toni released a high pitch moan into her mouth as she tangled her fingers into cheryl's hair.

cheryl pulled back with a loud smack before trailing her lips down toni's neck. she trailed lower over her chest, passing through the valley of her breasts. she dropped down to her knees as she kissed down her stomach.

when she reached her pants she made quick work of unbuttoning them and dragging them, along with her panties, down her legs. when they hit the floor toni stepped out of the and cheryl flung both articles of clothing to the side.

cheryl rubbed her hands up the top of toni's thighs as she looked up at her with nothing but lust. toni is the first person cheryl has ever gotten on her knees for and she wouldn't mind doing that everyday for the rest of her life.

she pushed her legs apart by her inner thighs and toni spread her legs as cheryl inched closer to aching center. she poked her tongue out wet her lips before dragging the tip of her tongue through her folds.

toni bit her lip and moaned as her eyes fluttered closed and she threw her head back against the door. she tangled one hand through cheryl's hair and the other rested on her shoulder.

cheryl was being gentle yet again which made toni furrow her brows, mostly from pleasure, but in confusion too. she gave cheryl the green light to do as she pleases, and be rough with her so she doesn't understand why she's still being soft. she didn't want that right now.

toni looked down at her and was about to open her mouth to speak when suddenly she gasped and threw her head back against the door again. she would for sure have a headache tomorrow. 

it's like a switched was flipped and cheryl started eating toni out as if it was her job. toni's lips were parted but no sound was coming out and her eyes were screwed shut. cheryl has never gone down on her like this before  _fuck_ -

suddenly she stopped and if it weren't for the fact that toni realized she needed to breathe she would've groaned in frustration.

"look at me." cheryl demanded but toni was still trying to catch her breath as her eyes remained closed. but cheryl was having none of that. she removed her right hand from her thigh and placed a smack to the side of her ass.

"look. at. me." cheryl said slowly and toni's eyes fluttered opened and she lifted her head to look down at her.

cheryl leaned forward again and swiped her tongue through her folds and toni's eyes fluttered closed again. cheryl placed another smack to her rear.

"uh uh keep em open baby. keep em on me." cheryl said and toni forced her eyes open again and looked back down at her girlfriend as her tongue dove back into her wet heat.

cheryl ate her out with a force that toni has longed to feel but most certainly was not expecting and toni had to remember to breath because  _fuck_  cheryl was sucking the life out of her. and the way she was looking up at her caused her knees to buckle and cheryl gripped both her hands on her backside to hold her up.

suddenly cheryl got an idea and toni could see something spark in her eyes and her breath hitched just wondering what cheryl was about to do.

cheryl lowered her hand to the back of her thigh and lifted her right leg over her shoulder. she lowered her other hand to grip the back of toni's left thigh and toni caught on and jumped a little to help cheryl throw her leg over her other shoulder. cheryl planted her right foot on the floor and balanced herself. she gripped toni's hips tightly as she lifted her self up to stand on her feet. toni back slid up the door as cheryl stood to her feet.

once she was balanced on her feet she placed her hands back on toni's ass and dove back into her center. she wrapped her lips around her clit and sucked harshly on the sensitive bud.

" _shit."_  toni gasped and dug her fingers into cheryl's hair and tugged in her roots.

cheryl moaned over and over into toni's center sending constant vibrations through her, causing her to moan uncontrollably and pull tighter on cheryl's hair.

cheryl could feel the signs of toni's pending orgasm and she sucked and licked relentlessly at her until her thighs were squeezing her head.

"cheryl!"

not wanting to tear away from her center, cheryl gave toni's backside two squeezes, informing her to let go and toni did, hard, with a broken cry and a string of curse words. her head hit the back of the door _again_ and she tugged on cheryl's hair trying to pull her away and push her closer at the same time. this was only her first orgasm of the night and it already felt so intense yet so fucking good.

when toni came down, cheryl slid her hand back up her sides, stopping under her armpits, and rose her off her shoulder and lowered her back to the floor. when toni's feet hit the floor her knees buckled a bit and cheryl wrapped her arms around her lower back to catch her with a giggle.

"you okay baby?" cheryl asked.

"fuck." was all toni could say and cheryl laughed again before leaning in for a slow kiss.

"that was... shit." toni whispered against her lips.

"i know right." cheryl responded cockily before deepening the kiss.

"and i'm not done with you." cheryl growled and she lowered her hands down to toni's backside as she slid her tongue in her mouth.

toni groaned into the kiss and wrapped her arms around cheryl's shoulders. the kiss grew heated fast and they were panting into each other's mouths as it grew almost sloppy. toni lowered her hands to wrap around cheryl back and tried to pull her impossibly closer but groaned frustratedly at the fact that she was still fully clothed.

"cher." she whined as she pulled at her shirt.

"if it's in your way get rid of it." cheryl said before digging her teeth into her bottom lip. she tugged it back and released it, pulling away as toni curled her fingers under the hem of her blouse.

cheryl raised her arms up to allow toni to remove the shirt. toni unhooked her bra in a flash, desperate to feel her skin. after throwing her bra to God knows where she quickly unbuttoned her pants and tugged them down her legs before doing the same with her underwear. cheryl almost laughed at how quickly toni shed her of her clothes.

as soon as cheryl stepped out of her panties and kicked them to the side she gripped toni's hips and pulled her body flush against hers and recaptured her lips in a deep kiss.

cheryl slowly started to walk backwards blindly, already having the path from the door to her bed memorized from the many times they have busted into the room already engulfed in an intense make out.

when she felt the back of her legs hit the foot of the bed, cheryl lowered her hands to the back of toni's thighs. she bent down a bit and lifted toni back into the air. toni barely had time to wrap her legs around cheryl waist before cheryl turned around and threw her down on the bed. toni looked up at her half with shock half with lust. as cheryl slowly crawled on top of her.

cheryl leaned down a placed one soft kiss to her lips.

"move up for me baby." cheryl said softly and toni scooted back until she reached the head of the bed and her head hit the pillows. cheryl adjusted the pillows so toni's head would be more flat rather than propped up and while doing so toni took the opportunity to take a nipple into her mouth. she was barely able to suck once before cheryl was pushing her back into the bed by her chest.

"uh uh. just relax baby. you can touch me when i say you can touch me."

toni's breath hitched at the way cheryl was speaking. she doesn't understand why it was turning her on so much at how cheryl was taking complete control, but it was, a lot.

cheryl pressed a chaste kiss to her lips before she climbed off the bed. toni whined half in confusion half from the loss of her body.

"relax. i'll be right back. don't move."

toni huffed but sunk down into the bed, trying to relax her body as cheryl disappeared into her bathroom, but she couldn't help how anxious she felt right now. but it was an excited anxious.

toni released a shuddering breath when cheryl walked out of the bathroom all in her naked glory, holding the tie from toni's robe in her hand. toni knew immediately what that tie was about to be used for and heart rate picked up tremendously.

cheryl laid the robe tie on the bed and crawled on top of toni. she laid her full weight on top of her and kissed her with a bruising pressure that had her moaning into her mouth.

as they kissed cheryl trailed her hands down toni's arms until she reached her hands. she intertwined their fingers as she rose both of her hands over her head and pushed them into the mattress.

cheryl pulled away from the kiss and rested her forehead against toni's as they regulated their breathing. cheryl rose up a bit and looked down at toni, her eyes moving from her eyes to her lips a few times before she bit her lip and leaned down for one more peck.

"keep you hands where they are can you do that for me baby?" cheryl whispered into toni's ear and she nodded in response.

cheryl rose up on her knees and grabbed the tie. she stretched it out between her hands and wrapped it around her right knuckle as she looked down at her girlfriend. her face turned from one of pure lust to slight concern when she saw the look on toni's face. she looked nervous.

"are you uncomfortable with this? we don't have to-"

"no. it's just- i've never done this before."

"you've never been tied up before?" cheryl asked with pure shock on her face and in her voice. toni blushed as she shook her head no.

"baby you've been dating the wrong people."

"i know, but i found my perfect match now."

cheryl couldn't help but smile as toni rubbed her hands up and down her thighs, completely ignoring cheryl's command to keep them where they are. cheryl leaned down to kiss toni heatedly, sucking her tongue into her mouth causing toni to moan and arch up into her.

"i love you." cheryl said as she pulled away and sat up.

"i love you too."

"we don't have to do this if you don’t want to-"

"my body is yours remember. do want you want it with it." a shudder went up toni's spine when she literally saw cheryl’s eyes darken.

"hands above your head then." cheryl commanded and toni did as she was told. "good girl."

toni shivered at the praise. it really surprised her just how fast cheryl could flip a switch.

cheryl took her time tying toni's wrists to the headboard and sitting back up on her knees when she was done.

"too tight?" she asked and toni shook her head no.

"if it gets to much or you get uncomfortable at anytime, tell me okay?"

toni nodded again.

"use your words sweetie... okay?"

"okay."

cheryl leaned down to kiss toni. she closed her lips over toni's bottom lip. she opened her mouth to kiss toni again but pulled back teasingly causing toni to follow her lips with a whine before flopping back down against the pillow. with her hands restricted she could grab her neck and pull her down to her lips. she really was giving herself to cheryl completely right now.

cheryl trailed her hands up toni's stomach until she reached her breasts. she circled both of her nipples with her middle fingers. toni draws in a shuddering breath and arches further into her touch. cheryl palmed both breasts and smirked at the feeling of erect nipples on her palms. she squeezed both of her hands, not hard enough to hurt but definitely not gentle.

"fuck." toni gasped as her eyes shut tighter.

cheryl squeezed and kneaded them as she moved them in circles. toni threw her head back and cheryl leaned down to attached her lips to her neck, sucking sensually on her pulse point, occasionally nipping at her skin.

cheryl trailed her lips back up to toni's as her right hand traveled south. with her middle and pointer finger, cheryl pressed down over the hood of her clit, hard, and toni moaned into her mouth as her back arched off the bed. but cheryl didn't move, she just kept her fingers completely still, pressed down on her clit as she sucked messily at toni's lips.

toni bucked her hips up in search for some friction but she groaned in frustration when cheryl pushed her hips back into the bed with her free hand.

"keep those hips on the bed for me baby girl." cheryl said as she rose up on her free hand, arm fully extended.

" _uhh_... cheryl... i need you."

"i'm right here my love." cheryl pressed down even harder on toni's clit and toni released a groan as her hips bucked up involuntarily only to be slammed back into the bed by cheryl's free hand.

"what did i say?" cheryl asked as she started drawing small but hard circles over the hood of her clit. toni just moaned in response.

"i could just stop if you want." cheryl said as she stopped her circles but still kept her fingers pressed against her.

"no please." toni blurted out.

"then what did i say?" cheryl asked again, resuming her circled movements.

"k-keep my hips on the b-bed." toni forced out.

"can you be a good girl and do that for me?" cheryl asked sweetly and toni nodded in response. cheryl stopped her movements.

" _cher!"_  toni groaned frustratedly.

"ah, so you do know how to use your words."

"cheryl please. don't stop. i need you." toni whined as she threw her head back and closed her eyes. cheryl smirked and continued her movements again. they were small but the pressure over her clit was enough to have toni moaning and her eyes screwing shut.

"look at me." cheryl demanded and toni forced her eyes open to look up at her girlfriend.

"how bad do you need me baby."

"so bad." cheryl eased up the pressure over her clit and toni furrowed her brows in confusion with a whine.

"come on you can do better than that baby girl."

toni knew exactly what cheryl was doing now. she wanted her to beg for it.

"please cheryl  _please._  i need you baby. i need you so fucking bad it hurts. please-AH!"

cheryl moved her fingers through her folds to make direct contact with her clit and she rubbed relentlessly on her sensitive bundle of nerves. her fingers were moving so fast on toni's clit her hand was basically vibrating on her. toni was moaning, high and loud. she was pulling at her restraints but it was no use. she already felt that feeling in the pit of her stomach growing quickly, she was close already.

"fuck! i'm gonna-"

the rest of toni's words were cut off by cheryl's lips as she kissed her hard and slowed her fingers down to a tortoise speed. toni groaned loudly into cheryl's mouth and yanked at the ties around her wrists. cheryl pulled away from her lips and looked down at her with a playful look but toni was looking at her the complete opposite.

"why'd you stop?" toni asked.

"you're body is mine and i'll do what i want with it remember?" cheryl said as she leaned down to tug toni's bottom lip with her teeth. 

"plus you already came once and i'm in the mood to tease." cheryl said nonchalantly after releasing her lip. toni just whined and closed her eyes. 

"you want me to keep going?"

"yes!" toni shouted.

cheryl placed a smack to the side of her ass causing toni to bite her bottom lip with a groan.

"did you leave your manners on the floor with your panties?"

God, the way cheryl was speaking to her was sending jolts straight down to her core. this  _here..._ this is exactly what she's been wanting.

toni shook her head no.

"why don't you try that again."

"please baby. please don't stop. please. i need you so bad-  _FUCK."_

cheryl continued her movements again, moving her fingers over her clit at a breakneck speed. toni's lips were parted in an o shape and her eyes rolled into the back of her head. her vision blurred a little. it was so intense. so _fucking_ intense. it was almost too much. it was as if all her senses were dissipating and all she could feel was cheryl's strong and fast attack on her core. 

she was so fucking close but she couldn't even form her lips to tell cheryl not to stop. she tried but no sound came out. she couldn't even moan, it’s as if all the breath has left her body. is she breathing? she doesn't even know.

"breathe toni." she heard cheryl say. well, that answers that. toni drew in a sharp breath and released it in a drawn out groan.

"fuck!" toni literally screamed. guess she got her voice back too.

"please- don't- shit!" toni tried to tell her not to stop but that was all she could say.

"i'm not baby. i want you to come right now." cheryl commanded.

toni balled her hands into fists and pulled on the ties as she arched her back high off the bed. just as she came cheryl's fingers came to a completely stop and she didn't even feel them on her anymore. toni was about to open her mouth to say something but her eyes snapped open and a broken cry left her mouth.

two of cheryl fingers entered her as she was cumming, and pumped in long strong movement against the resistance.

"cher  _fuck!"_

cheryl pushed herself up by her hand and sat straight up on her knees and she continued to move her fingers in and out of toni. the way toni's insides clenched her finger as she entered them was enough to make cheryl cum right there. cheryl closed her eyes and she focused on the sound of toni crying out and the feeling of her walls pulsating on her fingers. 

cheryl couldn't take it any more.

as toni started to come down cheryl threw her leg over to straddle toni's right leg and lowered herself onto toni's thigh. 

"fuck." cheryl whispered out as she rolled her hips slowly on toni's thigh in rhythm with the slow pumping of her fingers. 

when the pulsing of toni's walls started getting slower she pulled her fingers out until just the tips were inside, and added a third finger before slamming back into toni, causing her to wince and her body to bounce up the bed.

"are you okay?" cheryl asked, looking down at her girlfriend with genuine concern, and keeping her fingers completely still. 

"yes." toni whispered with a nod.

"you want me to untie you?" 

toni thought about it. she would love nothing more than to be able to dig her nails into cheryl's skin right now, mostly just to have something to hold on to. but the thrill of being tied up while cheryl had her way with her was so exciting and turned her on even more.

"no." toni whispered with a shake of her head.

cheryl slammed her fingers into toni again, causing her body to bounce up the bed and her breasts to shake as she released a whimper.

cheryl slid her free hand up her stomach, through the valley of her breasts up her chest and wrapped around her neck. cheryl pressed her thumb down on her pulse point and toni released a moan.

"knock on the headboard if it gets too much." cheryl said and toni nodded in understanding.

cheryl started pumping her fingers in and out as she ground against toni's thigh to the same rhythm. she added a little more pressure to her neck but not enough to block off her air supply but enough to have her moaning out and her eyes rolling back in her head.

she sped up her thrusts. it wasn't a breakneck speed like her attack on her clit but it wasn't gentle. she slammed her fingers in hard on every thrust, causing to toni to wince and whimper every time. 

and all toni could do was take it. cheryl was being rougher than she ever has but toni _fucking loved it_. her body was on  _fire._ when cheryl sped up her thrusts again toni opened her mouth to moan but once again no sound came out. cheryl was thrusting in her like it was her fucking job. it was hard and fast. toni was so out of it she couldn't even enjoy the view of cheryl riding her and the sounds of her moaning and cursing.

she felt like she was losing touch with reality. as cheryl curled her fingers into her spot, her hearing became muffled and her vision became blurry. if she didn't know any better she would think she was blacking out as cheryl thrusted hard into her.

cheryl started riding toni faster, having that perfect angle giving her clit all the stimulation. she looked down and saw toni's eyes rolling far back into her head. she eased up a little on her neck but thrusted faster into her.

"shit." cheryl breathed out as that familiar buildup grew in the pit of her stomach. she started grinding sloppily down onto her to help get herself to her climax faster. toni needed to cum now. she was falling out of it. she pressed her thumb into her clit and toni eyebrows twitched and her back arched off the bed.

"toni baby i need you to cum for me."

cheryl rubbed fast circles into her clit as she slammed into her spot. toni's eyes snapped open with a gasp and she released a loud moan. she's back.

"cum with me baby." cheryl commanded and toni came hard as fuck. tears welled in her eyes as her walls squeezed cheryl's fingers greedily, almost so tight that cheryl couldn't move, but she pushed through.

"FUCK CHERYL FUCK" toni screamed as a gush of liquid flowed out of her. she bucked her hips up sloppily, causing her thigh to slam into cheryl's clit.

" _fuck."_ cheryl breathed out. she removed her hand from toni's neck and dug in into the mattress as she came, not nearly as hard as toni, but hard enough. 

cheryl continued to ride toni's thigh as she kept pumping into toni. cheryl kept the same speed. she didn't know if toni was still cumming down or if she was sent into another one because she just kept shaking and her walls kept pulsating and she was groaning loudly. cheryl sped up and pressed even harder into her clit sending toni over and over until she literally couldn't anymore. 

"okay okay fuck." toni gasped as she knocked on the head board above her. cheryl stopped immediately but kept her fingers inside as toni released a long raspy breath.

" _fuuuuck."_ toni breathed out. she was panting heavily and sweat was dripping down her face along with tears. and a layer of sweat covered both of their bodies. cheryl kept her fingers completely still for a full minute as toni's breathing gradually regulated. 

cheryl slowly and gently pulled her fingers out and toni bit her lip with a whimper and closed her eyes tightly as the three fingers escaped her. cheryl put the soaked fingers into her mouth to clean them off. once they were spotless she untied toni's wrists. once they were free, her hands immediately flopped onto the bed by her sides with a huff. cheryl placed her hands next to her head and hovered over her. she giggled quietly at the fact that toni's eyes were still closed. 

she leaned down and pressed her lips to toni's softly, letting them linger for a couple seconds before pulling away slowly.

"you okay baby?" cheryl asked sweetly and toni nodded.

"you tired?" once again toni nodded and cheryl giggled before placing one more peck to her lips. she rolled off of toni onto her back. she pulled toni by her outside arm and tucked her inside arm under her back and pulled her closer. toni rolled over until she was directly on top of cheryl and flopped her head down tiredly on her chest.

"i love you." toni mumbled.

"i love  _you."_ cheryl echoed as she trailed her fingers up and down toni’s spine.

"congratulations." toni said and placed a lazy kiss to her chest.

"thank you baby." cheryl kissed the top of her head and toni fell asleep instantly.

 

 


	18. tell me it's not true

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not gonna say anything except don't be mad at me.
> 
> but if you are feel free to hit me up on twitter @cheryltoepaz

"okay i really have to go." cheryl mumbled against toni's lips. it was the day after getting promoted. the day after she and toni had the best sex they've ever had. cheryl knew she did a number on her because toni was latching on as if she'd never see cheryl again.

"one more." toni said before pulling her back in by her cheeks. cheryl's back was pressed up against the front door as toni kissed her fervently.

"okay... okay..." cheryl got out between kisses before toni slid her tongue in her mouth. toni dropped her hands to her waist and slid her fingers under her shirt to grip her skin.

"mmm... baby..." cheryl warned.

"hmm?" toni hummed as she removed her lips from cheryl's and attached them to her neck.

"i'm gonna be late."

"okay." toni replied but continued to suck on her neck. cheryl hummed and leaned her head back against the door, allowing herself to enjoy the sensation for one more minute. after what she hoped was only a minute, she lowered her hands down to her backside and squeezed forcefully causing toni to moan. she used the opportunity to push herself off the door and pull her lips away from her neck. cheryl placed one tender kiss to her lips before resting her forehead against hers.

"i love you babe but i have to go or i'm gonna be late." cheryl said softly.

"you don't have to go." toni said before sneaking another kiss from cheryl.

"i can't just not show up to work t." toni pulled back and wrapped her arms around her neck to look into her eyes.

"i mean you don't have to work there anymore. with this raise you'll make enough now to be well off."

"i know i don't  _have_  to work there, but i want to. i've worked there my whole life, i can't just leave those guys. you understand."

"no i do baby, i do. i know that's your family. i just don't want you to overwork yourself when you don't have to."

"and i appreciate you caring for my well being. but i'm fine sweetheart."

"okay." toni nodded and leaned in for another slow kiss. "at least let me drive you to work."

"uh uh. nope. because if you drive me to work you're gonna want to stay and you need to write."

" _ugh_  okay fine. but when you get off, if you want to come over after or want  _me_  to come over, call me okay and i'll come get you. i'll be up anyway."

"okay i will. i love you."

"i love  _you."_

they leaned down for three more short pecks before cheryl finally removed herself from her clutches and walked out the door to martin waiting for her in a black escalade. cheryl blew toni one last kiss as she hopped into the front seat of the car that was being held open for her.

on the way to work, cheryl couldn't help but think about what toni said.

_you don't have to work there anymore._

_i just don't want you to overwork yourself when you don't have to._

cheryl knew she didn't have to keep working at the bar. in fact she could've quit a long time ago because the money she was making as just toni's assistant was incredible. it was more than double what she was making monthly at the bar. but for some reason she just couldn't bring herself to quit.

the bar is all she has known for the past 10 years of her life. fp has been an incredible boss, she loves working with her best friend, and sweet pea, and reggie have also become her family. it would just be too hard to leave them, especially with how they reacted when she told them she was going to start looking for another job. she would miss them so much. and sure she lives with veronica and reggie and sweet pea literally live right next door. but working with them has just been so much fun, some of the best times of her life came from that bar. it would just be too hard to leave.

when martin pulled up to the front of the bar, cheryl thanked him before stepping out of the car and into the empty bar. she waved at veronica as she made her way through the club towards the bar counter.

"hey." veronica greeted as cheryl put her bag underneath the bar.

"hey. where's reg and sweets?" cheryl asked as she tied her black apron around her waist.

"i sent them to get ice from the back."

"okay, well when they get out here i have some news to share with you guys."

"fuck them, i'm you're bestie. tell me first."

"okay well... i got promoted."

"shut up!"

"you are looking at the new head of social media at topaz magazine."

"holy shit girl congratulations!" veronica exclaimed as she pulled cheryl into a hug and rocked side to side.

"what's going on?" reggie asked as he and sweet pea walked behind the bar carrying two large bags of ice. cheryl and veronica shared a look and cheryl gave her a nod, telling her to share the news.

"our girl cheryl got promoted."

"what!?" sweet pea exclaimed as he and reggie dropped the bags of ice to break it apart.

"yep i'm the new head of social media."

"no way! congratulations cher!" reggie said and the two boys pulled her into a hug.

"we're definitely taking celebratory shots later." sweet pea said when they pulled away and went back to their ice bags.

"hey can i talk to you when we get home? unless you're going to josie's later." cheryl asked veronica quietly after pulling her away from the guys.

"i wasn't planning on it. and yeah, of course. is everything okay?"

"yeah i just need your advice on something and it's not really a conversation for here."

"okay."

-

her shift at the bar went by fast. and it helped that they were really busy, and cheryl racked up a lot of tips. as cheryl, veronica, reggie and sweet pea rode home on the subway, cheryl took out her phone to send a text to her girlfriend.

 **cheryl**  
_hey baby, just got off. i'm exhausted i think i just want to go home and crash. but let me treat you to breakfast tomorrow._

toni's didn't text back until they were off the subway and walking towards their apartment building.

 **toni**  
_okay, get some rest. i'll see you tomorrow. i love you._

 **cheryl**  
_i love you too._

the crew said their goodbyes in the hallway before going into their separate apartments. once inside cheryl dropped her stuff on the floor and fell onto the couch with a huff.

"i'm beat." cheryl said as she laid flat on the couch and covered her eyes with the inside of her elbow.

"tell me about it." veronica agreed as she flopped down right next to her. "you still feel like talking?"

cheryl nodded her head and sat up. she turned on the couch to face veronica and tucked her feet underneath her, and veronica mirrored her position.

"i talked to toni earlier before work and she really had me thinking."

"about what?"

"how would you feel if i were to quit the bar?"

"you want to quit?"

"i mean i love working at the bar, and if i'm being honest i could've quit a long time ago, but just couldn't because i love working there so much and love working with you and the guys. but now with this promotion i don't really  _need_  to work there, but i want to, if that makes sense. and toni said she doesn't want me to overwork myself when i don't have to and that just made me think about how tired i have been since taking on two jobs, especially during the week. so i need you to tell me what i should do."

"well of course we'd miss you like crazy. we'd be losing our best bartender. but honestly cher, you are on to bigger and better things. you've worked so hard, and you deserve it. so quit. we will understand."

"but the bar has been basically my entire life-"

"and it's not going anywhere. it'll still be your place-  _our_ place. but you don't really need to work there anymore and that's okay. you've gotten everything you've ever wanted. a great job, a loving girlfriend, and i couldn't be more proud of you."

"but reggie and sweet pea-"

"will just have to get over it."

"you are the best friend a girl could ever ask for." cheryl said with a cheeky smile.

"hmm i know." veronica chuckled as she leaned over to give her a hug.

-

cheryl mindlessly moved her fork around her plate as she stared at the gorgeous woman across from her. her skin was glowing, illuminated by the morning sun as they sat at a table outside of an eatery. cheryl could stare at this woman for hours.

"you're staring again." toni said nonchalantly as she forked a piece of french toast into her mouth.

"sorry, you're just so beautiful sometimes i get lost."

"you're in a cheesy mood today."

"well, sometimes you just bring it out of me."

toni giggled and smiled as she reached across the table to rub her fingers up and down cheryl's forearm that was rested in the table. they just stared into each other's eyes. she loves her so much.

"so i thought about what you said yesterday, about the bar." cheryl suddenly spoke up.

"oh?"

"yeah and i've decided to quit."

"wow. are you sure babe? i wasn't trying to pressure you-"

"no i know. and you didn't. i talked to ronnie about it yesterday and she encouraged me to quit too. the reason i was so hesitant to is... for all of my life up until now the bar has been the only significant thing about me and i guess i was just trying to hold on to that. but you're right. i don't  _need_  to work there anymore. and as much as i'm going to miss working there it's time to let it go."

"as long as you think this is the right thing for you then i support you one hundred percent."

"i know love... come here." cheryl sat up in her seat and leaned over the table. toni followed suit and cheryl placed her finger under her chin and connect their lips in a soft kiss. they pulled away slowly and locked on each other's eyes before sitting back down.

"not that i'm complaining but what was that for?" toni asked, once back in her seat.

"just for being the best girlfriend a girl could ever ask for. you're amazing toni topaz."

"no,  _you're_  amazing. truly. you deserve the whole world and if i could i'd give it to you."

"now who's being cheesy?" cheryl smirked and they both fell into a cute fit of laughter.

-

cheryl knocked on the glass of the wooden door and turned the knob after hearing a deep 'come in'.

"hey fp." cheryl said as she walked inside the small office and shut the door behind her.

"cheryl! what's going on?" he said as he took his feet off the desk to sit straight in his chair.

"nothing much. there's something i need to talk to you about though." she said as she sat down in the chair in front of his desk.

"what's up?"

cheryl took out a tri-folded piece of paper and and set it on his desk and slid it towards him.

"this is my two weeks notice." cheryl studied his face as fp unfolded the paper and read over it.

"i have really loved working here, i mean if it weren't for you ronnie and i would've been living on the streets. i can't thank you enough for all you've done for me. but, i've been promoted at topaz magazine and it's time for me to move on." cheryl explained as fp re-folded the paper and set in on top of his desk.

"wow." he started as he ran his fingers through his hair. "we're really gonna miss you cheryl. i mean everyone knows you basically ran this place. but i understand. when i first met you, you were this kid who just needed money to survive. and now look at you. you've moved on up. and i'm so proud of the woman you've become."

"thank you so much fp."

"but just know that this place will always be your home okay. and we'll always be your family so don't stay away from us."

"don't worry, i couldn't even if i tried."

"good. now get to work, i still have you for two more weeks." fp joked and cheryl chuckled and gave him a two finger salute before exiting his office and making her way out to the bar.

she smiled at how understanding fp was. but that smiled faltered when she saw sweet pea and reggie marching towards her with veronica trailing behind them.

"cheryl!" sweet pea shouted.

"uh oh." cheryl mumbled to herself.

"you're quitting!?" reggie said as both boys stopped in front of her. cheryl sighed.

"yes."

"how could you do this and not even tell us!?" sweet pea shouted.

"yeah!" reggie echoed.

cheryl knew her boys would be upset about her leaving the bar, but she didn't think they'd be this upset.

"you know i love working with you boys so much, but it's time for me to move on." cheryl explained calmly, trying to calm them down but it didn't really help at all.

"you don't have to leave!" reggie said.

"what are we gonna do with out you?"

"hey, i'm just leaving the bar not your lives."

"it just feels like the end of an era. we've been working together for almost 10 years. it's gonna be so different without you." sweet pea explained in a much calmer tone.

"plus everyone knows you run this place." reggie added.

"i'm sure you boys and ronnie can manage." cheryl said nudging her best friend who was quietly standing beside her. "besides i'm not going anywhere for two more weeks."

sweet pea and reggie shared a look with each other that cheryl couldn't quite read but assumed they still weren't happy about her quitting.

"come on you big softies. let's get to work. we got 30 minutes before this place is packed." cheryl said patting them both on the shoulder and they released simultaneous sighs before following her behind the bar.

-

on monday morning cheryl couldn't wait to get to work. it was her first full day in her new position and she already had an amazing idea for the social sites. 

when she heard a knock on her front door, she was elated to finally get going. she opened the door quickly and toni blinked her eyes in shock.

"someone's in a great mood this morning." toni said before leaning in for a greeting kiss.

"i am in fact. it's my first full day in my new position."

"well let's get going then. you ready" toni said with a smile and cheryl nodded. she was so happy that her girl was happy. she extended her hand and cheryl intertwined their fingers as they made their way out of the apartment building and to her car. 

after a surprisingly fast drive to the office cheryl and toni stepped out of her car as daniel drove her car to her assigned parking space. 

cheryl smiled as she looked up at the tall office building.

"i've never seen you this excited to be at work." toni said as she looked at her girlfriend with the softest eyes and a small smile. cheryl took her eyes off the building to look down at her girlfriend. she just giggled and leaned in for a short peck before they walked towards the front door.

cheryl was glad to be at work, but the moment they stepped through the front door of topaz everything changed.

same as every other day, cheryl and toni walked into the office hand in hand. but, this time the vibe felt different and cheryl didn't know why. usually everyone speaks and cheryl says hello back. this time as they walked through the office towards her new desk, people looked at the couple and turned their heads away, completely ignoring them. the only good morning cheryl received was from kevin and josie.

cheryl felt that nervous feeling in her stomach as she saw two of her coworkers look at her then whisper into each others ears. and cheryl assumed they were talking about her. cheryl looked down at she and toni's joined hands and almost felt inclined to remove hers. this is the first time she has felt embarrassed holding toni's hand in the office and she hated that feeling.

when the reached cheryl's desk toni turned to face her.

"have a great day baby." toni started to lean in and cheryl backed away to avoid her lips, and the look of confusion on toni's face almost broke her.

"we're at work, remember?" cheryl said as she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. toni furrowed her brows, but shook her head.

"right, right. okay. well, i'll see you at lunch."

"okay." cheryl said and removed her hand from toni's. she sat down at her desk and got settled in. she turned her head to the guy sitting at the next desk over.

"good morning brian." cheryl said with a smile.

"morning." he said shortly without even taking his eyes off of his computer.

cheryl's smile faltered. brian was usually really nice. he was one of the first few people to welcome her to the office when she first started as toni's assistant. they had a few conversations in the break room, and he was really funny and genuinely a nice guy. so it confused her as to why he was being so short with her.

she looked to the other side as saw another coworker, she knew her name to be caitlin, make eye contact with her then whisper into the guys ear that was sitting next to her.

cheryl hated this. she felt like she was in high school again, overhearing people talk about how poor she is, and how she doesn't have a family, and how she's white trash. she thought she had escaped that childishness once she graduated, especially considering everyone here is an adult, but yet here she is. 

and she knew immediately why people were starting to treat her this way.

she tried to ignore it. she tried to just focus on doing her job. but every time she got up to get a drink of water, or use the bathroom, she could feel the eyes on her and could hear people mumbling under her breath. she stood in a stall in the bathroom and fought back tears. she hated this because  _cheryl doesn't cry._

as she stood in a stall she heard two other women walk into the bathroom already mid conversation.

"who?" she heard one of them say.

"cheryl." the other one whispered.

"wow, i'm not surprised."

"me neither."

and that was the end of the conversation. she stayed silent as the two women used the restroom, washed their hands, and left. 

when cheryl left the bathroom she tried to avoid eye contact and kept her head down as she made her way back to her desk. 

_ignore them._

_you are cheryl fucking blossom._

_you're here to do your job not make friends._

she tried to tell herself but when she sent out a mass email to everyone in the office telling them to send her a picture of themselves and a short bio to her for the instagram page, she watched as an hour went by and nobody had sent anything except for toni, josie, kevin, and jessica the secretary. this was getting ridiculous.

"hey, did you get my email?" cheryl asked as she leaned over towards brian.

"yeah."

"did you  _read_ it?"

"haven't had time to yet." he answered shortly, still refusing to make eye contact.

"okay what's your problem? i'm just trying to do my job." cheryl asked, trying to keep her voice calm.

"ha, unlike you some of us had to work hard for our jobs."

"what's that supposed to mean." finally brian turned to face her, and his eyes were hard and unwelcoming.

"don't act like you don't know." he said before standing up from his desk and walking away.

cheryl had a feeling she knew. her mind jumped there the minute she sat down at her desk. but she refused to believe it. she refused to accept it. she tried so hard to keep her mind from going there. 

 

frustrated, she stood up from her desk and made her way towards the break room to get a cup of coffee. as she walked down the hall she stopped outside the door when she heard people having a conversation about her.

_"i can't believe she got promoted."_

_"she's been here for the shortest amount of time and got promoted. such bullshit."_

_"she went from being an assistant to head of social media when there's so many other qualified people here **with** experience."_

_"i think we all know why she got promoted."_

_"yeah, cause she's screwing the boss."_

_"for real, if she and toni weren't fucking she wouldn't have even given her a second thought."_

_"i can't believe corporate even allowed this. i mean she works at that trashy bar. guess they don't care about image."_

_"we all had to bust our asses to get to where we are, if i had known all we had to do was sleep with the boss to get ahead i would've taken toni out along time ago."_

cheryl has heard enough, and now they're dragging toni into this. she walked into the break room and everyone snapped their heads towards her, and she saw all the blood drain from their faces in shock. she didn't say a word. she just walked over to the coffee pot, opened the cabinet above her to get a mug, and poured herself a cup. she walked towards the door and before leaving she stopped and turned to face them.

"please send me your pictures and bio's if you want to be featured on the topaz magazine instagram page." she said with the upmost professionalism before leaving the break room. she held her composure but as she left she felt the burning sensation of tears threatening her eyes. she took a deep breath and held them back as she walked back out into the main office. 

she sat at her desk staring blankly at her email as six new emails came in. everyone who was sitting in the break room sent her their pictures and bios. but she hadn't opened them yet. she just sat there staring blankly at her screen. her mind was currently going crazy. she couldn't help but think.

think about what they were saying. was it true? did toni only promote her because they were dating. she said she was the first person she thought about when this job came up. but it made her wonder that if they weren't in love would she have thought about someone else. was the fact that they were in love the only reason she thought about her first. and how was that fair to the rest of the office. no matter how shitty they were treating her today she knew there were other people in the office who were qualified to do this job. 

"hey!" toni's voice pulled her out of her thoughts and she looked up at the top right corner of her computer screen. it was nearing 1 pm.

"hey." cheryl answered back as she closed the tab to her email, and put her computer to sleep.

"you ready for lunch, i was thinking we could go to that pizza place down the block, you got me hooked on it."

"actually can we rain check, i uh- i told sweet pea and reggie we'd get lunch today." cheryl said as she stood from her desk and grabbed her purse out of the bottom drawer.

"yeah sure. everything okay?" toni asked, concern written on her face.

"yeah, fine." cheryl said before walking away without another word or glance, and toni watched her walk out of the office with furrowed brows. she looked around the office and caught a few pairs of eyes who looked away quickly as if being caught. 

_what the hell just happened?_

_-_

cheryl had avoided toni all day. she canceled their lunch date, she ignored all of her text messages, and she kept her eyes on her computer screen whenever toni walked by. and toni was so confused as to what was going on. she knew whatever it probably wasn't a conversation for work, seeing as they always tried to keep it professional at the office. but now she was distracted from everything.

around 3:45ish toni knocked on josie's open door and walked inside and slumped in a chair in front of her desk.

"hey toni." she said solemnly.

"i can't work."

"yeah i figured you would't be able to. how are you holding up?"

"wait, what do you mean?"

"you're upset about what's happening with cheryl right?"

"you know what's happening with cheryl? i don't even know. she's been avoiding me all day. we were good this morning and now she wont even look at me."

"you seriously don't know?"

"know  _what_  josie?"

"toni... people are saying cheryl only got promoted because you two are... sleeping together."

toni took a second to process josie's words, before scoffing.

"that's ridiculous. who's been saying that?" 

"everyone toni."

"alright i'm making an announcement." toni went to stand up but was stopped by josie's words.

"that's not a good idea toni. cheryl's already embarrassed as it is."

"that's why she's been avoiding me?

"toni... is it... is it true" josie said as calmly as possible. 

"how could you even ask me that?" toni scoffed in disbelief.

"answer the question." toni snapped her head back, her neck popping from how fast she turned around, when she heard cheryl's voice.

"is it true?" cheryl asked from the the doorway of josie’s office, her eyes glossy like she was on the verge of crying.

"cheryl i-" 

_it's not true._

_of course it's not true._

toni wanted to say, but she was so shocked she couldn't bring herself to say anything.

"tell me it's not true." cheryl said, a tear escaping her eye and falling down her cheek. toni knew she was really hurt because cheryl doesn't cry. toni opened and closed her mouth, speech suddenly being very difficult at this moment.

"right." cheryl said before she stormed away.

"cheryl!" toni called after her as she quickly stood from her chair and left josie's office. 

"cheryl! cheryl!" toni called as she followed cheryl to her desk.

"cheryl-"

"leave me alone." cheryl said as she started to gather her things.

"cheryl please let me explain."

"there's nothing to explain." cheryl grabbed her purse out of the bottom drawer of her desk, and toni put her hand on cheryl's arm.

"baby-"

"don't!" cheryl snapped as she yanked her arm out of toni's grip. "i'm not feeling well, i'm taking the rest of the day off, dock it from my vacation time." cheryl said calmly as she left and walked towards the office doors, and of course toni tried to follow her.

"cheryl! cheryl!"

"toni." kevin stepped in front of her, blocking her path to leave.

"kevin move."

"toni this is a place of work.  _your_  place of work." kevin said putting his hands on her arms to try and calm her down.

"i don't care."

"you will when i tell you that there's someone in your office here to speak with you."

"kev, i _don't_ care."

"toni.  _trust me_. i know you love cheryl, but you  _need_  to deal with this first. he's waiting in your office." 

toni sighed and broke free from kevin's grip. she rolled her eyes as she made her way towards her office. whoever this is better be very important or have a good reason to be here because she needs to talk to cheryl. that's her number one priority right now.

as she approached her office she stopped in her doorway when she saw the man leaning against her desk, facing her. she nearly gasped as she took him in. those familiar blue eyes, that dark blonde hair on his head that used to be black. he was dressed a lot nicer than he used to. maroon slacks, black loafers that she knew cost a pretty penny because she bought fangs the same pair for christmas last year. he wore a fitted black v neck and had a matching maroon blazer thrown over his shoulder and held there by his fingers.

"toni topaz. it's been so long."

"forsythe." she responed dryly. 

"this is a nice office you got here. topaz really took off huh?"

"what are you doing here?"

"ah, such a warm welcome. no how have you been?"

"what are you doing here?" toni repeated, not in the mood for small talk.

"congratulations. today is your lucky day."

"what are you talking about?"

"well as you may or may not know, i am now a famous author. and two of my books are being adapted into movies, both coming out early and mid of next year."

"i didn't know actually. after we broke up because you _stole_ from me i surprisingly never kept up with you." toni said with a hint of sarcasm.

"still mad about that? come on that was years ago."

"you still haven't told me why you're here." toni crossed her arms.

"well, i'm about to start press to promote my new movies and topaz magazine has the privilege of doing the first piece about me."

"and why would i allow that?"

"toni. i am a two time number one new york times best selling author, whose books are about to be made into movies. people are already predicting them to be the best movies of the year. i'm about to blow up and everyone is going to want me in their magazines. you could be the first and this could be good for you. you're not going to want to turn this down because of our past toni."

toni just stood their frozen. no matter how much she hated him, he had a point. she knew how this worked. she always tried to jump on the most popular actors, singers, and writers first. and especially now that they are digital it would good publicity for her magazine.

"my team will be contacting you officially tomorrow about it but i wanted to come down and tell you in person. don't turn this opportunity down toni. you and i both know you're smarter than that."

"i hate to say it but you're right. but just know i'm not going to enjoy this."

"you say that now." toni rolled her eyes at his arrogance. "you're making the right decision toni. get ready. we're about to be spending a good amount of time together." 

and with that forsythe left her office. toni couldn't believe this was happening. she thought she'd never have to see him ever again after what he did to her. this wasn't supposed to be _topaz magazine_. it was supposed to be _topaz and jones magazine_. they had planned to start it together in college. but then she caught him stealing literal money from her, and she kicked him out of her life for what she thought was for good. 

she didn't need this right now. the last thing she needed was her gold digging ex coming back just when everything with cheryl went to shit. 

_fuck!_

_cheryl._

toni quickly logged out of her computer, grabbed her stuff and left the office. only one thing was on her mind.

-

toni knocked on the front door of cheryl's apartment and waited anxiously for the door to be opened. she sent cheryl about 10 text messages and called her 3 times but it has been dead silent on her end.

she heard the door being unlocked and her heart skipped a beat as it was opened. she tried to hide the look of disappointment on her face when the door opened to reveal veronica. 

"she's really upset right now toni." veronica said, disappointment filling her eyes.

"ronnie, please let me talk to her. please."

"toni-"

" _please."_

veronica sighed and scratched her eyebrow with her thumb before she opened the door wider and stepped out of the way to let toni into the apartment. toni walked inside and it broke her heart when she saw cheryl sitting on the couch, eyes red and puffy from crying.

"hey." toni said cautiously as made her way towards the couch. cheryl didn't respond, she just stared at her with a look of hurt in her eyes. 

"can we talk?" toni said as she sat down on the couch next to her, with some distance between them.

"you never answered the question." cheryl suddenly said, her voice scratchy from the amount of crying she had recently done.

"cheryl..."

"answer the question toni!" she suddenly snapped and toni flinched. "tell me it's not true. tell me it's not true that the only reason i was the first person you thought of for this new position is because we're dating. tell me that everything everyone has been saying about me behind my back is not true!"  

"i- it's not true." toni stuttered.

"look me in my eye and tell me its not true!" cheryl shouted as tears streamed down her face. toni looked directly in her eyes, her own starting to gloss over.

"you know you're qualified for the job cheryl. that's why i gave it to you."

cheryl groaned loudly and frustratedly and stood up from the couch. she gripped her hair in her fingers and turned back around to face toni.

"when this job came up did you think of _anyone_ else in that office besides me? and don't fucking lie to me."

"n-no."

cheryl laughed hysterically and ran her fingers through her hair.

"so it's true! you only promoted me because we're fucking!"

"we're doing more than just fucking." toni said as she stood from the couch. "i love you baby."

"don't fucking pull that with me right now! that's not the point toni! stop beating around the bush and just fucking say it!"

"okay yes! yes. when corporate came to me with the new job opening you were the only person i thought of."

" _ugghhh_ how could you do that!"

"do what, give you something you deserve!?"

"i didn't earn that job toni! i've been working at topaz for a few months, there are people that have been working there for years!"

"cheryl you know you're the most-"

"the most hardest working person in that office? don't give me that bullshit right now! sure i work hard but there are people in that office way more qualified than me to do that job and you know it! and now knowing you basically just gave it to me! you know this is all i have ever wanted! and knowing you just handed it to me makes me feel like i accomplished nothing!"

"i never meant to make you feel that way-"

"but you  _did!_ and whether you meant to or not you did! and now everyone in that office either thinks i'm only sleeping with you to get ahead, or i only got ahead cause i’m sleeping with you. snd both of those assumptions fucking suck. you have no idea how shitty that makes me feel!"

"cheryl, i'm sorry." tears were streaming down toni's face now. cheryl crossed her arms and looked away. "cheryl?"

"i want you to leave." cheryl said in a much more calm voice.

"no. no i'm not gonna leave again. i wanna stay. i wanna work this out."

"toni please."

"cheryl no, don't kick me out again. please. i love you."

"toni... you know i love you. but... i think we need a break."

toni’s heart dropped.

"is that really what you want?"

"no it's not what i  _want_. but i still think we should. i never _ever_ wanted a job that way toni, and you know that. but yet you still gave it me that way. and i never saw it until now. you were wrong toni. you gave me that job unfairly and  _i_ got all the backlash."

"cheryl please. just tell me what to do and i'll do it." toni sobbed desperately

"i need you to leave."

toni couldn't believe this was happening. this morning they were so good. and now they're breaking up, and it's all toni's fault. 

"okay." toni said barely above a whisper and without another word, she walked towards the front door.

_if she turns back to look at me i know we'll be okay._

when toni reached the door she turned back to look at cheryl. cheryl sniffed and wiped her nose. the cries coming from her broke toni's heart and she couldn't do anything about it. when cheryl didn't turn around, toni dropped her head in defeat and left the apartment.

 

 

 


	19. you’re not helping

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter picks up right where the last chapter leaves off. this one is a filler chapter but is still angsty and worry not even more drama is coming in the next chapter... some characters are coming back.
> 
> enjoy and catch me on twitter @cheryltoepaz

as soon as cheryl heard the front door close she broke down. she dropped down to her knees and sobbed into her hands. she didn't even hear veronica’s door open and she didn't even register veronica's hands around her until her head slammed on her chest.

and veronica just held her as she cried.

cheryl has never felt this before. she has dumped and ghosted many women and never felt any ounce of remorse or sadness before. but seeing toni walk out that door for the second time after she told her to leave hurt like hell. it felt like someone was sitting on her chest. she loves toni. she loves her so much. but what she did hurt like hell too.

after about 10 minutes the two best friends found themselves on the couch, cheryl drinking a glass of water handed to her by veronica after her tears had calmed down.

"do you wanna talk about it?" veronica asked softly.

"did i do the right thing?" cheryl asked as she kept her eyes locked on the almost empty glass resting in her lap.

"do you think you did the right thing?"

"i don't fucking know ronnie. this is my first relationship how the hell am i supposed to know?" cheryl snapped.

"what are you feeling right now?"

"i feel hurt. and it feels worse because i was hurt by the person i love. when she admitted it i just got so mad. but did i do the right thing by saying we should take a break?"

"do you want my honest opinion?"

cheryl nodded.

"i love you two together, and i want you both to be happy. but, maybe a break will be good for you. you work together and maybe taking a little time apart will help un-cloud your judgement, especially toni's."

"yeah, maybe you're right. i just- fuck- how did everything turn to shit? we were so good this morning."

"i know babe, i'm sorry. i know how crazy you are about her. but, just take this time apart to think. about everything. think about everything that has happened and how you feel."

cheryl just nodded. veronica was right. cheryl and toni had been spending almost everyday together, at work and outside of work. they promised they would keep it professional at work but lines have been crossed. she knows this time apart will be good for them. she just hopes it won't be awkward in the office tomorrow.

"thanks ronnie."

"that's what i'm here for. you feel better?"

"not really."

"why don't we order some chinese, pour us some glasses of wine and just have a movie night. and we could call sweets and reggie over here."

"i'd love that."

"come here." veronica opened her arms and cheryl smiled softly as she fell into the warm embrace of her best friend.

"it's gonna be okay."

cheryl trusted her best friend with all her heart. she knew she was always right. she just hoped she was right about this. that it would in fact be okay.

-

as soon as toni closed cheryl’s front door, she leaned her back against it and cried into her hands. this is the second time cheryl has kicked her out and the second time she has left without a fight.

she thought about going back inside. she even reached for the handle. but then she remembered that this fight was all her fault, and everything that cheryl said was true.

toni let go of the door handle, ran her fingers through her hair and made her way down the hall, down the steps and out of the apartment building.

when she reached her car she fell into the drivers seat and slammed the door shut. she sat there for a few seconds, staring blankly through the windshield before her face scrunched up and fresh tears starting falling down her face and dripping off her chin into her lap. she crossed her arms over her steering wheel and dropped her head on them as she just cried. her shoulders shook and she drew in shuddering breaths as she just sobbed and sobbed.

she doesn't even know how much time has past but she sat up and wiped the tears from her eyes as she started her car. she pulled away from the sidewalk and made her way down the street as she used her touch screen to make a call. 3 rings rang through before a hello was heard through the car speakers.

"i fucked up. i f-fucked up." toni said as her lip quivered and fresh tears stung her eyes making her vision blurry.

" _where are you?_ "

"on my way to your place."

" _okay please calm down and drive safely. i’ll see you soon_.”

toni hung up and focused on driving, trying to hold her tears in so she can at least see the road.

she reached her destination safely, not even caring that she parked crooked in a space. she closed the door and headed straight inside the apartment building.

she knocked on the familiar front door and when it was opened she immediately fell into the arms of her best friend. wrapping her arms tightly around her neck and hiding her face in her shoulder. she broke down again.

"i-i fucked everything u-up josie." toni said in between sobs as josie rubbed her back comfortingly.

"shh shh it's gonna be okay." josie said as she backed up into the apartment to close the door. she just stood there, rubbing her hands up and down toni's back as she cried.

"let it all out." josie cooed and that made toni cry harder. she could feel the wetness of tears and she what hoped wasn't snot on her shoulder but she didn't let her go for a second. she hasn't seen toni this upset since she broke up with forsythe. and even then she wasn’t as upset as she was now.

soon toni’s sobs reduced down to sniffles.

"come on let's go sit on the couch. you hungry? thirsty?"

toni shook her head but josie got her a glass of water anyway. she joined her on the couch and offered the glass to her and toni only took a few sips before setting in on the coffee table.

"okay, what happened?" josie asked calmly and toni took a deep breath.

"it's true. i gave that job to cheryl because we're dating."

"toni." josie tried to keep the disappointment out of her voice but toni could hear it.

"she deserves that job josie. she does and you know it. but i still gave it to her unfairly. i should've put the job opening up and held interviews before just deciding who to promote, but fuck- i just love her so much and i wanted to give her everything she deserves."

"you know she doesn't like things being handed to her though."

"i know josie! i know! i fucked up okay. i know. that's why she broke up with me."

"wait what?"

"after work i went to her house and we had a fight and everything she was saying was true. and she kicked me out josie and i just left, again, without fighting. i should've fought harder for her, but she said she wanted to take a break."

"wait. she said take a break, or break up?"

"take a break."

"okay, so you're not officially broken up then toni. you're just taking some time apart which could be really good for you. especially since you work together."

"so i'm not gonna lose her?"

"no, you're not gonna lose her babe. you both just need this time to reflect and think about everything that's happened. but i have faith that you'll be okay."

"thank you josie." toni leaned in to hug josie.

"what are best friends for?" josie said as she squeezed her tightly and rubbed her hand up and down her arm.

"can i stay here tonight? i really don't want to go home." toni asked softly, not really in the right headspace to see things that remind her of cheryl, especially the smell of her shampoo on her pillows. she knows they aren't broken up but it still hurts, and right now she has no idea how she's going to fix it.

"of course you can."

-

the next morning toni arrived at work earlier than usual. she was one of the first few people there. she could hardly sleep last night anyway, maybe getting a solid two hours, so at 6 am she figured she might as well get up and get ready for work. her entire outfit for the day came from josie’s closet.

she walked into the office at 7:20 am and this time instead of being so blinded by love like she was yesterday, she was observant. there were only a few other people there and they spoke to her as she walked by but the greetings weren’t as pleasant as they used to be. she figured they were only saying good morning because she was the boss.

when she reached her office she stood by her door and froze after putting the key in the lock. she slowly retracted it and turned around. she walked over and settled in at cheryl’s old desk, her desk that had a perfect view of the entire office. today she was going to observe.

about 30 minutes later, almost everyone in the office now present, cheryl walked in. toni perked up in her chair and stared intently at her, following her with her eyes as she walked from the front door to her desk. her hair was in a ponytail and she was wearing her glasses. her skin looked as if it was bare of makeup, which of course cheryl’s natural beauty is unreal, but she’s never seen cheryl in the office without makeup. she was wearing simple black pants, a simple white button up and black flats. yeah, toni knew cheryl wasn’t herself this morning.

she kept her head down the entire time she walked through the office and toni knows why. as she walked toni noticed some of her employees making side comments, and giving her weird looks. toni was kicking herself for not noticing this yesterday. she was so lost in her own little happy world that she didn’t even notice what was going on in her own office. that was certainly going to change today.

toni gave cheryl a few minutes to settle in, well, mostly to give her rapid beating heart and the nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach to calm down. she stood up from her desk and made her way over to cheryl. she knows they’re supposed to be taking a break, she knows they’re supposed to be keeping space between them, but toni can’t help it. she loves her and she just wants to check in on her.

“hey, uh, morning.” toni said with a nervous smile.

“morning.” cheryl answered shortly, not even making eye contact with her.

“how are you?”

“fine.” another short answer.

“cher, come on.”

cheryl slammed her hands down on the desk, not loud enough to make a commotion but not soft either, and she snapped her head to look at toni.

“toni. i asked for a break for a reason. we need space and i really don’t wanna do this _here_.”

toni drew in a breath as she averted her eyes to the floor and released that breath shakily. she nodded her head a few times before looking back up at cheryl.

“yeah. yeah you’re right, i- i’m sorry. have a good day.” toni smiled sadly waiting for cheryl to offer one back. when cheryl just nodded and turned her head back to her computer screen toni’s smile faltered and she left without another word.

cheryl wanted more than anything to watch her walk away but she knows it would just make everything harder. _that_ was one of the hardest things she’s had to do. all she wanted was to scoop toni in her arms and bury her head in her neck. especially considering she only got maybe two hours of sleep last night. but she knew she was doing the right thing. they needed this space.

-

this was the longest fucking day ever. toni tried to keep herself busy, which she was considering she hasn’t found a new assistant yet. but, she couldn’t help but look up and stare longingly at cheryl every five or ten minutes.

cheryl hasn’t looked her direction once. she hasn’t looked anywhere other than her computer all day. toni hated this. she just knew cheryl was probably feeling like an outsider right now. this was a place of work and her skin crawled with anger every time cheryl got up to use the bathroom and she would see people whispering.

cheryl left the office for lunch, not really in the mood to stay somewhere she wasn’t comfortable. she called veronica but she was having a lunch date with josie. she called sweet pea and reggie but they were both busy doing inventory at the bar. so she ate alone. she got a slice of pizza and a bottled water and sat in the pizza parlor alone.

she was having a horrible day. she knew people were still talking about her. and all she wanted to do was just hold toni’s hand to help her get through this day. she wishes she could just say fuck her coworkers and run straight into toni’s arms right now. the old cheryl would. but then she remembers what toni did and it reminds her that they need the break. she knows they need it.

she didn’t want to go back to work but she dragged herself back into that office anyway. she kept her head down as she walked to her desk and tried to ignore everyone for the rest of the day.

toni watched her clock waiting patiently for 4:55 to hit. after eating lunch alone in her office, she couldn’t focus on anything work related for the rest of day, thinking about this unofficial meeting she was about to call. she was nervous as hell about it but she had to say something. she was not about to let one of her employees feel uncomfortable in her place of work. even if it wasn’t cheryl, she didn’t want anyone to feel like they didn’t belong. if this was a few months ago toni wouldn’t give a single fuck. but that was before cheryl changed her life.

finally the clock in the corner of the computer hit 4:55. toni stood up from her desk and walked into the middle of the office. she cleared her throat.

“can i have everyone’s attention please.” toni yelled out and waited as the light office chatter calmed down and everyone on the floor faced her. she waited for the people in separate offices to come out before continuing.

“i know it’s the end of the day but i am calling an unofficial meeting as of right now.” toni made eye contact with cheryl. cheryl looked confused and a little scared. toni blinked and looked away from her. this had to be said and it had to be said now.

“now, i normally try to keep my personal life and business life separate, but some lines have been crossed. i’m sharing this with you because we have to work together everyday and i want this office to be a safe space. i know that most of you don’t really agree with my decision to promote cheryl. but, what you all need to realize is that it was _my_ decision. she had no idea i was even thinking about promoting her. and when she found out that i gave her this job unfairly she broke up with me-”

“or she was using you to get ahead and dropped you once she did.” brian mumbled but loud enough for almost everyone to hear, including cheryl and toni, and a few quiet laughs broke out.

cheryl looked up at toni and her eyes started to water. she shook her head, grabbed her stuff and stormed out of the office.

“cheryl! nobody leave, this meeting is not over.” toni said sternly. she chased cheryl as she called out her name and caught up to her just as she reached the elevators.

“cheryl wait!” toni caught up to her and grabbed her elbow to get her to stop walking.

“why! why did you have to say that!” cheryl said as a tear escaped her eye.

“cher, people have been treating you like crap all day, i was just trying to help-”

“well you’re not helping! you’re making things worse!”

“i’m not trying to.”

“well you are. just stop toni.”

“cher...”

“please toni. please. just give me some space. please.” cheryl pulled her arm out of toni’s grip and walked onto the elevator that just opened. as the door closed toni’s expression turned from one of sadness to determination and she stormed back into the office.

“alright listen up!” toni shouted causing the chatter to quiet down instantly.

“from this moment forward i will tolerate no and i mean _no_ bullying in this office, got it. we are all adults and if you wanna act childish there’s the door.” toni paused to give anyone a chance to walk out. when no one moved she continued.

“now i know i gave cheryl that promotion unfairly and that was bad judgment on my part but it had _nothing_ to do with cheryl. and from now on if you have any problems with it you come to me and me only. but i will not tolerate any teasing or bullying or gossiping in _my_ office. do we understand?” toni waited and looked around the office as her employees nodded their heads. toni made eye contact with josie and kevin and they both have her encouraging nods with proud smirks on their faces.

“alright good. now you’re all free to go, and i expect you come back tomorrow with great attitudes and ready to work on next months issue.”

as everyone started to gather their things and leave toni walked over to where josie and kevin were standing.

“did i do the right thing?” toni asked.

“i think so but only time will tell.” josie responded.

“yeah, you needed to say something. this isn’t the first time this has happened to one of your employees.” kevin added.

“yeah i know. but that’s not going to happen again. i was so horrible back then. selfish. but cheryl, she changed me. and i just want this office to be a safe space. not just for cheryl but for everyone.”

“you’re still learning toni. and that’s okay.” josie said putting an encouraging hand on her shoulder.

“thanks. i just wish cheryl could see that.”

“she’s hurt right now but she’ll come around toni. she will.”

“i really hope so.”

 


	20. how did we get here

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry it took so long but it's here... uhh don't be mad at me ok bye
> 
> until next time catch me on twitter @cheryltoepaz

_"mmm i love you so much." toni hummed as she squeezed her girlfriends waist and pressed a kiss to her chest. they were cuddling in toni's bed._

_"really?" cheryl asked as she trailed her fingers up and down her back._

_"oh yeah. i love you more than anything."_

_"then why'd you hurt me?" cheryl asked in a small voice and in the blink of an eye, she was out from under toni and sitting on the edge of the bed._

_"i didn't mean to." toni sat up and she reached forward to touch cheryl but when her hand made contact with her shoulder she vanished and was standing by the window._

_"cheryl?" toni asked, voice laced with confusion. she stood from the bed and walked towards cheryl. she reached out for hand and just before she made contact she vanished again. toni gasped and turned around to see cheryl standing by her bed._

_"cheryl please don't leave me." toni said in the smallest voice as she cautiously made her way towards her again, fearful that she would vanish again. she stopped directly in front of her and sighed in relief when the girl didn't vanish._

_"please don't leave me again." toni rasped out, her eyes glassing over._

_"don't you get it toni? i'm already gone."_

_"what?" toni reached out again and when her hand made contact with cheryl's chest she vanished again. toni gasped and turned to look around the room frantically, but the woman was gone._

_"cheryl?" toni called out, her voice echoing as the room grew bigger and bigger and she got smaller. tears were streaming down her face._

_"CHERYL—"_

toni's eyes snapped open with a gasp. she breathed heavily for a few seconds before it regulated. she turned her head to look at her clock on her nightstand. 

6:04 am

she sighed, which turned into a groan as she rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands. she had only fallen asleep a little before 3 am. it's been like this every night since she and cheryl took a break.

toni stared at her ceiling as her eyes started to water and tears escaped the corner of her eyes and rolled down into her hair.

she hated this break. she hated this break so fucking much. she thought it would only be a few days but it's been a week since she and cheryl's last fight in the lobby of her office. and the two of them haven't spoken a single word since then except a simple good morning in the office.

and as much as she hated it, it was necessary and it was working. people in the office have stopped with the side eyes and the side comments and some of them have even apologized to cheryl for the things they have said behind her back. work was getting better for cheryl and that's all toni cares about right now, no matter how much she misses her.

deciding she wasn't going to fall back asleep, toni got out of bed and started getting ready for the day. she took a long hot shower, and dressed herself up a bit more professional than she has been the past couple of weeks. she wore a maroon knee length skirt and a matching maroon blazer with a black button up underneath. she had her interview with forsythe today, and she was in no way trying to dress up for him, it was just a force of habit to always look presentable when doing an interview. 

toni decided to stop and get a large black coffee and a breakfast sandwich before going to the office. she arrived at the office around 7:30. cheryl wasn't there yet, and a big part of her felt sad that she wasn't. she walked straight into her office and closed the door to prepare for her interview later.

-

cheryl hated this. she's never felt this before. longing. guilt. ever since toni walked out that door over a week ago it felt like a piece of her was missing. and that's something she has never felt before, but it was working.

she felt bad for their last fight. she told toni she was making things worse. but in fact she actually made things better. she doesn't know what toni said when she left the office a week ago, but whatever she said made things better. people in the office started treating her better. there was no more whispering behind her back, and people actually starting saying good morning to her. even brian, who sat at the desk next to her, helped her with a computer issue and was actually genuine. 

that's why she felt guilty. she told toni to stop when all she was trying to do was make things better. she wanted to run into her arms and kiss her and tell her how sorry she was, but she couldn't. she asked for a break for a reason and it was working. 

when she arrived at work, toni's office door was closed but she just knew toni was already there. she had been showing up to work extremely early for the last week. she wondered if she was having trouble sleeping too. cheryl never realized just how easy it was to sleep when sleeping in the arms of the love of your life, that is until she was gone.

-

toni sat at her desk, sighing as she read over her talking points. she looked up at the little clock on her computer. 12:20. 10 minutes until she had to interview forsythe. and she was dreading it. she thought when they broke up she'd never have to see him again. and now her magazine is featuring him for their august issue, which means she'd have to conduct a few interviews with him as well as a photoshoot. 

at 12:25 toni's phone rang. 

"yes jessica."

_"i have forsythe here."_

"alright send him in."

toni stood up from her desk, grabbed her notes and a recorder, and moved across the office to sit at the table in front of the floor to ceiling windows. there was a knock on the door.

"come in." she called out and the door opened revealing her ex boyfriend dressed in grey slacks, a white tank, suspenders and a grey fedora. money definitely changed him because he never dressed this well before. in fact he used to make fun of people who dressed like that.

"toni, it's so good to see you again." forsythe said with a annoyingly charming smile to which toni just rolled her eyes. she did not have the patience to deal with this today.

"please. sit." she said as she motioned to the chair in front of her. he pulled chair back and sat down as he removed his fedora and placed it on the table. 

"let's get started shall we." she said as she started the recorder on the table.

"aw come on. you don't wanna chat first?" forsythe asked, tilting his head with a smirk.

"honestly i'd rather not. let's just start the interview yeah?"

"alright. ask away."

it took everything in toni to not roll her eyes at the smile on his face.

"what inspired you to start writing?"

"oh you know." he said with a smirk as he ran his fingers back through her hair once.

"you really want me to write  _'you know'_ as your answer?" toni asked as she squinted her eyes.

"okay okay. fine. i was an outsider growing up, especially in school. really only had one friend, barely. so writing was my way of escaping the real world, and just creating my own."

"what is your writing process like?"

"i've always been sort of a, write as you go kind of writer. i just get an idea in my head and let my fingers do the rest."

"and did publishing your first book change that process?"

"yes and no. i get an idea and i know how i want it to start and end, but everything in the middle, i just make it up as i go."

"where do you get your inspiration from?"

jughead chuckled and ran his fingers through his hair again.

"honestly, i uh, i draw from my past experiences and pour that into my novels"

toni, unfortunately, had to read his novels and honestly they were good. it was the perfect balance of mystery and romance. and the way forsythe just answered that question makes her fear that she was the inspiration for some parts of his book. she moved that thought to the back of her head and continued the interview. 

"i'm sure you deal with writers block."

"as most writers do."

"how do you get over that?"

"i just take a break for a day or two. i clear my mind and don't think about my story at all. i'll either go out and have fun, or just stay inside and chill. i won't read anything either. just anything to let my mind relax."

"was it always a dream of yours to see your stories portrayed on the big screen?"

"well no, i never even imagined i'd be a published author. but when opportunities knock on your door you gotta answer."

"now that two of your book are being adapted into films, how involved are you in those projects."

"i'm pretty involved in almost everything. i sat in on auditions, and any creative decisions are mostly ran by me. the director and i had lunch and he really made it clear that he wanted  _my_  vision to be on the screen."

"if you could tell your younger writing self anything what would it be?"

toni furrowed her brows as forsythe chuckled and shifted in his seat. something she knew he did when he got nervous. 

"uh, never take a good thing for granted, because when it's gone you'll regret it."

and again toni had a feeling that answer was about her by the way he reacted to her question. plus what did that have to do with writing? she was almost afraid to ask her next question.

"if you had to do something differently as a child or teenager to become a better writer as an adult, what would you do?"

and again, forsythe fidgeted before answering the question.

"there uh. there was this girl i met in college-" 

toni knew exactly where this was going. she sat back in her chair and crossed her arms.

"she was the one that really helped me see my full potential as a writer and i fu- i mean i messed it all up. i think maybe if i had treated her better and wasn't such a dumb a- i mean a dumb kid, i could have been more successful. i mean don't get me wrong i'm extremely grateful for where i am in my career right now, but i feel like maybe inspiration would flow better if she were still a part of my life. and maybe my books would have more happy endings." he finished with a chuckle. 

toni scoffed a laugh. she didn't know what kind of game he was playing but it ends here.

"last question. what advice would you give to up and coming writers?"

"just stay creative and keep writing."

"alright thank you. we're done. my secretary will be in contact with you for your fitting and your second interview." toni said as she started to pack up her things but before she could stand from her chair she was stopped by his voice.

"toni wait."

"what?" she asked shortly.

"you wanna get some lunch?"

"are you kidding me right now?"

"look toni, i know you hate me and you have every right to. but i promise i'm not that guy anymore. please just give me a chance to show you that i'm not. and i promise i'm not in any way trying to get you back or anything but we're about to be working together for a while and it would make it a lot easier if you didn't absolutely hate my guts."

toni looked at him apprehensively but she saw the sincerity in his eyes and in his voice. then she thought about cheryl. she gave her a second chance and cheryl's given toni a second, third, and fourth chance. she's grown so much since she's met cheryl and has changed for the better. and if she could change, maybe forsythe did too and it wouldn't be fair to deny him a second chance.

"alright."

"wait really?" forsythe asked, face struck with shock.

"yes. let's go. but your treat."

-

cheryl was at her desk scrolling through the topaz account's twitter feed when a very well dressed man walked through the office. cheryl's never seen him before but she followed him with her eyes as he made his way through the office. she rose a brow in curiosity when he entered toni's office.

"hey who's that guy?" cheryl leaned over to ask brian.

"the guy that just walked in?" he asked and cheryl nodded. "that's forsythe jones. we're featuring him in the august issue."

" _that's_  forsythe?" 

"mhm." 

cheryl leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. she knew the next issue was going to be about an author but she didn't know it was going to be toni's ex. the ex that cheryl has heard all about. the ex that toni apparently hates. 

and she hates that she didn't know. but she and toni are on a break, she didn't know if she even had a right to know now.

she hates this.

she could only imagine how toni feels right now having to see her gold digging ex again, and there’s nothing she can do about it.

about 30 minutes later she saw the two of them walking out of her office. 

"so where do you wanna eat?" cheryl heard forsythe say and she blinked her eyes rapidly and tilted her head with a raised brow.

"it doesn't matter to me." she heard toni respond. 

cheryl didn't know what this feeling was but for some reason she had the urge to punch him in his jaw. toni going to lunch with her ex, who she supposedly hated, right in front of her face? she  _hated_  this.

an email notification is what brought cheryl out of her thoughts. she turned back to her computer to open said email and inwardly groaned when she saw who it was from.

-

toni and forsythe left the office and waited as toni sent daniel to retrieve his car. toni's eyes widened in shock as daniel pulled up in a black genesis. the ride to the restaurant was silent. it wasn't a comfortable silence but it wasn't uncomfortable either. they arrived at a restaurant not to far from toni's office and were seated in a booth. 

"so what made you agree to this? i thought for sure you'd tell me to go to hell." jughead asked after a waiter took their drink orders.

"i've changed a lot these past few months and i've been given more chances than i deserve so i figured it would be unfair to not give you a second chance."

"well i really appreciate it toni. but if you don't mind me asking, what caused this change?"

toni chuckled and looked down at her hands as she fiddled her thumbs on top of the table.

"well you know how i was in high school-"

"yeah, what was it you said? rich bitch?"

"yeah. then we dated and i calmed down a bit. but when you stole from me, i went back to that and worse."

forsythe nervously scratched the back of his head. he was about to open his mouth to speak but toni continued.

"but then i met this woman. this amazing woman. she really humbled me."

"i see. what's her name? is this a girlfriend?"

"her name is cheryl but uh... it's... complicated." toni sighed and forsythe nodded in understanding. 

"well i've changed a lot too." forsythe said, changing the subject after noticing how toni's mood changed.

"i find that hard to believe." toni chuckled out. 

"i get it. but i really have. i was just a poor kid from a small town. and i promise i wasn't just using you. i really did care about you, like a lot. in fact, i actually didn't think i deserved you which obviously i didn't. and i got desperate and did something really stupid that i knew i shouldn't have. and the second you kicked me out i instantly regretted it. and seeing the look of heartbreak of your face was my motivation. motivation to do better in life. to work hard for my money instead of trying to take the easy way out. i started taking my writing more seriously and put everything into it. and honestly i'm glad it happened. i know we were supposed to start topaz together but if that had happened i feel like i would have just bummed my way through it and took credit for your work. you kicking me out of your life was the best thing that could've happened to me because it caused me to get my shit together." 

toni just stared intently as he explained. his voice was laced with the upmost seriousness and she could see it in his eyes too.

"and toni i am so sorry for what i did. we were so in love and i completely ruined it. i broke your trust, i'll never be able to apologize enough for that. but i want to try. when my publicist told me about starting press for my novels and movies i could’ve went to any magazine but you were the first person i thought of. and yeah it was a little personal and i know we have history but i just- i don't know maybe it was dumb- but i just needed this chance."

"i get it forsythe. we've all done things we regret. and i forgive you."

"really?" forsythe gasped with his eyebrows raised and jaw slightly dropped.

"don't seem so surprised." 

"wow, you really have changed. that cheryl must be really special."

"she really is, i just-" toni cut herself off.

"just what?" 

"nothing, i don't really want to talk about it."

"okay well let's talk about something else. who's your favorite person you've done an issue on?" 

and toni and forsythe fell into simple conversation, basically asking each other simple questions about their careers, trying not to get too personal. 

toni knew she's changed since meeting cheryl but now she is starting to realize  _just_  how much. this morning she was completely dreading having to talk to let alone see forsythe again, and now here they were actually having a pleasant conversation. she's never been able to forgive someone so easily. sure it's been almost 8 years since she last spoke to forsythe, but with just three conversations she already forgave him. and that's something she would have never done pre cheryl. she used to be a grudge holder. 

after lunch forsythe drove her back to the office building and insisted on walking her back up to the office. they stood in the lobby as they said their goodbyes.

"thanks for lunch." toni said.

"thanks for letting me take you to lunch, and for allowing me to apologize."

"of course."

"alright well i'll let you get back to work, you've got a riveting article to write about an extremely successful author." forsythe joked causing toni to chuckle.

"my secretary will contact your publicist about the photoshoot fitting and second interview, and i'll see you back here in a few days."

"okay. see ya." forsythe gave her a tight lipped smile before pressing the down button next to the elevator.

toni walked back into the office and as she walked back to her office she made eye contact with cheryl but she couldn't quite read her face. she just shot her a small smile but furrowed her brows when cheryl just turned her eyes back to her computer.

_what was that about?_

-

 "i've had a shitty day and i need a drink" cheryl said as she plopped down on a barstool right in front of veronica who was cleaning a glass. it still feels weird coming back into the bar knowing she's no longer an employee and officially just a customer, but it's still her second home and those people are still her family. 

"pea, hook our girl up with the cheryl specialty." veronica called out.

"on it!" the tall man called back. 

"now what happened?" veronica asked cheryl.

"well for starters toni had a lunch date with her ex boyfriend today-"

"wait what?" veronica interrupted.

"yeah, he's the author that the magazine is covering for the august issue, and he showed up to the office today and had an interview with toni and then they went to go get lunch."

"well i don't think that was a date-"

"why the fuck else would she be getting lunch with him. someone who she claimed to hate so much."

"are- are you jealous?" 

"what?" cheryl scoffed, "no, i don't get jealous."

"cher, you're jumping to conclusions here. we get lunch all the time, doesn't mean it's a date."

"yeah but we're best friends ronnie. forsythe is her ex who she apparently has spoken to in years. she's told me all about him, what he did to her and how she hoped she never had to see him again. then now all of a sudden she's getting lunch with him? and right in front of my face."

"cher i really don't think it's like that. i know this is your first relationship and you're still learning but don't just jump to conclusions. you have no idea why they got lunch. i know you two are on a break right now but you still need to trust her."

"yeah..." cheryl trailed off and veronica sighed in frustration. she knew that cheryl heard her but she doubts she was actually listening. 

veronica grabbed the now finished drink from sweet pea and set it in front of her. cheryl took a sip and rose her eyebrows with a hum of appreciation.

"you got it sweets!" cheryl called out and he pumped his fist in the air. cheryl took a large sip from her drink before continuing. 

"oh and guess what the fuck else happened today?"

"what?"

"i got an email today. take a wild guess who it was from."

"girl, just tell me."

"penelope." cheryl said as she took another large sip of her drink. 

"oh, shit. what did it say?"

"she said she wants to meet me again."

"are you going to?" veronica asked cautiously.

"i don't know. the last time we met i got so angry, and hurt."

"yeah but she's making an effort now. i'm not at all trying to pressure you but aren't you at least curious to know what she wants."

"honestly i am and i hate that i am. i don't want to get hurt again."

"i understand. and i'm not going to push you and say you should meet up with her. but she's reaching out again, especially after you told her you didn't need her. think about it."

veronica walked away to take someone's order and left cheryl to her thoughts. the last time she saw her birth mom she completely broke down. cheryl was tough but she didn't know if she was strong enough to go through that again on her own.

she pulled out her phone, sighing at the picture of her and toni on her lock screen. she probably should have changed that picture because every time she looks at it she feels a twinge in her stomach, but she just couldn't bring herself to change it.

she opened up her contacts and clicked on toni's name. her thumb hovered over the call button. last time she saw her birth mom she blamed it all on toni and kicked her out. her thumb hovered over the button for a few seconds before swiping up back to the home screen and locking her phone. toni probably wouldn't want to go with her anyway, especially since they're on a break that she asked for.

"you good?" veronica’s voice took her out of her thoughts and she looked up at her.

"will you go with me? to see penelope? i don't think i can handle that on my own."

"of course i'll go with you."

-

it was 11 pm on saturday morning. cheryl and veronica sat in a booth of a local breakfast eatery. cheryl fidgeted with her fingers, looking anxiously at the front door every time she heard the bell chime.

"cheryl relax." veronica said as she squeezed her shoulder. 

“maybe this was a mistake. maybe we should go.” cheryl got up to leave but veronica gripped her shoulder to keep her from getting up.

cheryl no, we’re already here. chill, i’m here with you.”

cheryl took a deep breath and released it shakily. penelope seemed excited about seeing her again when cheryl emailed her back. but cheryl was nervous, more than she was the first time they met. she could only imagine what penelope wanted especially after she went off on her the last time. 

the bell chimed again and cheryl looked up at the door just as penelope walked through. she swallowed thickly as the older blossom scanned the restaurant. they made eye contact and penelope smiled as she made her way towards their table. cheryl was nervous mostly but when she saw her face and remembered their last conversation she couldn’t help that feeling of anger return in the pit of her stomach. 

“relax, it’s gonna be okay.” veronica whispered to her after feeling her tense up and she rubbed circles over her shoulder. 

“hello cheryl.” penelope said as she sat down. 

“hi.” cheryl spoke apprehensively. 

“thank you so much for meeting with me again. who’s this?”

“my best friend veronica, we met at the foster home.”

“oh well it’s nice to meet you veronica.”

“likewise.”

“i gotta be honest i’m a little apprehensive about this meeting but i’m curious to know why you want to see me again.” cheryl said more confidently. 

“i understand, especially how our last meeting went. but cheryl im going to be one hundred percent honest with you. i would like to get to know you. and i know, i know you probably hate me, and i understand you want nothing to do with me but whether you like it or not you’re a part of me.”

“a part of you that you left behind. while raising another kid.”

“i know this probably means nothing to you but my husband and i are truly sorry. we honestly thought you would’ve been adopted and had a better life, but you were right, we still could have tried to find you. but it’s never too late and we would really love to get to know you.”

“we?”

“myself, my husband and our son, your brother.”

“you told him about me?”

“i did. and they really want to get to know you too cheryl.”

cheryl was unsure. this is the family that gave her away and didn’t look back. and she’s had to deal with that for 21 years of her life. but yet, they were here now, making an effort. 

“i don’t know. i’m still so mad at you.”

“and that’s understandable. but what do you say? will you come over for dinner sometime next week? you can even bring your girlfriend.”

cheryl stiffened and turned to share a look with veronica, causing penelope to furrow her brows. 

“did i say something wrong?”

“no no uh, can- can i think about it?”

“of course. take all the time you need. why don’t we exchange numbers, it’s way easier than email.”

“okay sure.” cheryl pulled out her phone and swapped with penelope and they both entered each other’s information before swapping back.

cheryl still wasn’t one hundred percent sure about this. she was still angry but she was curious about her birth father and her brother. everything was just so confusing right now.

-

toni was lounging in one of her lawn chairs by her pool, enjoying the early morning warmth and the calming sounds of the waterfall falling into the pool. she still could hardly sleep so when she woke up at 6 am she decided to go for an early morning run. after she came back and took a shower she decided to relax by her pool in hopes to get out of her head for a few hours. 

and she was relaxed, eyes even closed as her body started to drift into sleep until her phone rang. she huffed and sat up as she reached for it on the little circled table next to her. 

“what’s up josie?” she said after answering the call.

_“hey you wanna get some brunch with me?”_

“i thought you were getting breakfast this morning with ronnie.”

_“i was but she went with cheryl to see her birth mom.”_

“she what?” toni exclaimed as she shot up in her seat.

_“oh shit, i don’t think i was supposed to tell you that.”_

“cheryl went to see her birth mom again? why didn’t she tell me?”

_“i mean, you two ** **are****  on a break toni.”_

“yeah but i wanted to be there for her. fuck, i hate this stupid break.” toni groaned as she fell back into her lawn chair.

_“i know toni. i’m sorry. i hate it too. you two are so good together.”_

“i miss her so fucking much. what if we never get over this break? what if this is it?” toni said as her eyes started to water. 

_“alright i’m coming over. i’m not gonna let you be alone right now. i’ll be there in a few.”_

-

toni was so thankful for josie. she came over on saturday and they spent the entire days just gossiping and joking and laughing. they swam for a bit in her pool and then spent the rest of the day watching movies. 

she spent the night and they spent the entire day together on sunday too. toni knows that josie is in love and has her own relationship but she has really needed her best friend during this time. 

cheryl and veronica spent the entire weekend together as well. talking and laughing and watching movies all day saturday until ronnie’s shift at the bar. 

and while veronica was at work that’s when she did most of her thinking about what her birth mom said. she was still on the fence about meeting her blood family but the more she thought about it the more she leaned towards actually going to meet them. she wanted to tell toni but at the same time she didn’t know if she should. especially after seeing her and forsythe getting lunch. she’s still hates that it makes her so mad and she doesn’t know why.

after veronica’s shift on saturday they resumed their movie marathon and crashed together in their living room. 

on sunday, they went over to reggie and peas place and spent the day with their favorite boys.

they were both finally able to stop thinking about their drama and just relax, but the weekend went by way too fast for them.

as toni entered the office building on monday morning she froze as she saw that familiar head of gorgeous red hair. she slowly made her way to the elevator and awkwardly stood behind her. 

when the elevator doors opened she kept her head down and followed the redhead inside. it wasn’t until the doors started to close that cheryl noticed she was there. 

toni smiled awkwardly at her and cheryl shot her a quick tight lipped smiles before dropping her eyes to the floor.

“hi.” toni said finally breaking the awkward silence. 

“hey.”

“i uh, i heard you went to see you mom on saturday.”

“yeah, i did.”

“um how’d it go?”

“fine.”

they both felt so awkward.

“why didn’t you tell me?”

“cause we’re on a break toni.”

“are we on a break or are we broken up?”

“what’s the difference?” cheryl said shakily. 

toni’s heart dropped.

“are you serious cheryl? you’re still mad at me?”

“i don’t know!” cheryl suddenly snapped.

“oh my God cheryl when are you going to get over it. i’ve apologized over and over. i agreed to this break that you asked for. i’ve made work so much easier for you.”

“you think this is easy? you think it’s easy for me to have to be here everyday and see you knowing i can’t talk to you or touch you or kiss you. you think it’s easy for me to go home alone everyday. you think it’s easy for me to watch you go on a fucking lunch date with your ex boyfriend.”

“a lunch date? wait... is that why you’re mad?”

“ _no.”_  cheryl drew out as the elevator stopped on their floor and the doors opened.

“are you jealous?” toni asked as she followed her out the door and stopped her in the lobby.

“what if i am?”

“you’re the one that asked for a break cheryl, you have no right to be jealous.”

“i have  _no right_ to be jealous? you know what, you’re right. i don’t have a right to be jealous.”

“cheryl-”

“no, do whatever you want toni.” cheryl stormed away into the office leaving a shocked toni just standing there. 

_how did we get here?_

 


	21. we're hurting each other

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shorter chapter but very angsty. posting this and running...
> 
> enjoy and catch me on twitter @cheryltoepaz

things for cheryl and toni only got worse.

after their fight in the lobby of her office, when toni finally recovered from the shock, she ran straight to josie's office and broke down.

"you just need to do what she asked toni. you need space. i know it's hard but you need to just let it go, you're only torturing yourself." josie said softly as she rubbed her hand up and down her back, her face buried in her shoulder, tears probably staining her shirt but she didn't care.

toni decided that day to just work from home. she had no meetings and she could easily write and answer emails from home. and if anything happened she had no doubt that josie and kevin would be able to handle it. it was just too hard to be in the same place as cheryl right now, especially when she knows she's not making this better.

it took everything in cheryl to hold back her tears while she was at work. she didn't know if they were tears of sadness or anger, maybe both. but she refused to cry in the office. she thought about going to the bathroom a couple times just to let it out but she fought off the urge and just focused on work, which was hard considering she didn't have that much to do that day anyway.

when the clock struck five she rushed out of the office before anyone could even say bye.

and once she was behind the closed door of her apartment she finally let it out. the emotion that she was holding in since 7:30 in the morning was finally breaking free and she hated it because  _cheryl doesn't cry._

she ran her fingers through her hair frustratedly and literally kicked herself off the door and ran to her room, slamming the door loudly behind her. she threw her purse on the floor, not even caring about the contents falling out of it, and slammed her body onto her bed.

she just cried into her pillow. she sobbed loudly not even caring if veronica could hear her or not.

a few minutes later she heard a knock on her door and her name being softly called, but she was too busy choking out sobs to answer back.

"cher?" veronica asked softly as she opened the door.

"i'm f-fucking everything up!" cheryl yelled into her pillow.

"oh honey." veronica sat down next to cheryl and rubbed her hand up and down her back. she just sat in silence comforting her best friend until her crying turned to sniffles.

"cher, are you okay?" veronica knew it was a stupid question but it had been silent for a really long time and she just needed to get cheryl to tell her what's going on.

"no, i'm not." cheryl said as she flipped over on her back, her eyes were puffy and bloodshot. veronica still isn't used to seeing cheryl cry seeing as she never used to cry before toni entered her life.

"what happened?"

"this fucking sucks. everything sucks. and i'm just fucking it all up. toni's trying ronnie but i'm still so upset and i'm just fucking it all up."

"cheryl you have a right to be upset you know."

"i do?" cheryl asked in the smallest voice veronica has ever heard her use as she sat up.

"yes, toni messed up and you were hurt. you have a right to be upset cheryl."

"but it’s been weeks. what if i never get over this ronnie? what if i lose the best thing that ever happened to me because i'm still fucking mad."

"you just need time cheryl and that's okay. relationships are hard work cheryl, and major things aren't gonna be fixed over night."

"yeah but toni's tried to talk to me so many times and i just keep blowing up at her.  _ugh_  and then she told me i had no right to be jealous of her and that dick forsythe i just- maybe i'm not meant to be in a relationship. maybe this is karma for my past with all those women."

"cheryl, you know that's not true. you love toni. and toni loves you. like i said you just need some time."

"yeah, maybe."

needless to say, cheryl was unsure about everything. on one hand she knew she should probably hear toni out, but on the other hand she's still so mad. and she's mad at herself for not being able to let it go. then seeing toni with her ex just added more to it, and then toni telling her she had no right to be jealous was the icing on the cake.

_ugh, how did things get so messed up?_

-

toni really needed that mental heath day. if she were to stay at work yesterday she knows for a fact she wouldn't have been able to do anything. even though she spent the first part of the morning crying in her bed. josie was right. toni needs to just give cheryl space. they're both only torturing themselves by letting this drag on. so today, toni decided she was going to do just that. not only give cheryl space, but herself too. she knows it needs to be done if they are ever going to have a chance moving forward.

toni walked into the office, dressed a little more down, because she didn't have it in her to dress up today. she wore black jeans that could pass as work pants, a white tank top with a gray and white stripped blazer over it and black flats. cheryl was present but she didn't look in her direction once, not out of spite, but just because looking at her is too hard right now. she went straight to her office and closed the door.

she poured every ounce of her attention into her article about forsythe. she didn't even realize how much time has passed until she got her expected call from jessica at 12 o'clock on the dot. she pressed the speaker button to answer.

"hey jessica, is he here?"

" _yep, he's waiting for you upstairs."_

"alright i'll be right up."

toni left her office, once again keeping her eyes away from cheryl's desk and walked out the doors, making a pit stop at jessica's desk before going to the elevators.

"hey jessica, at 12:30 can you send our head of social media upstairs to get some behind the scenes footage of forsythe's photoshoot for our socials."

"yes ma'am. i'll let her know."

"thank you." toni said, nodding with a grateful smile before walking to the opposite wall and hitting the up button.

toni could've told cheryl herself. she _is_ her boss and this _is_ still a place of work and the conversation would've just been about business, but she felt it would be best to just send a middle man. she hates that it has come to this, unable to even keep it professional, but she figures that's what happens when you mix business with pleasure.

when she reached the next floor up she walked into the room where forsythe would be having his photoshoot. the room was filled with her employees including photographers, designers and a hair and makeup crew. she walked past a craft services table a picked up a grape and popped in her mouth before walking up to forsythe, who was seated in a high chair surrounded by one person doing his hair and another person doing his makeup.

"hey." toni greeted as she approached him.

"hey toni." he said looking up at the ceiling as the makeup artist was putting eyeliner on his bottom eyelid. the first look of the shoot was an edgy rockstar look.

"missed you yesterday when i was here for my fitting."

"yeah i know, i just needed a personal day."

"everything okay?"

"just... i... i'm not in the mood to get personal right now in my place of work."

"it's all good, i understand."

toni took a pause to breathe.

"so, before your first shoot let's knock out this interview. this one is gonna be a get to know me kinda if interview."

"okay cool. ask away."

toni opened the voice memo app on her phone and pressed record.

"what was your favorite thing to do as a child?"

"this is probably the most cliche answer but writing. i did a little photography on the side but writing was always my passion."

"who's your biggest inspiration?"

"the honest answer and the safe answer?"

the way forsythe was looking at her made her nervous to hear the honest answer.

"the safe answer."

"probably my mom, gladys. she's always been my biggest supporter and even though we didn't have much growing up she was the hardest working person i know. and i guess my dad too. they did everything they could to keep a roof over our heads."

curious as ever toni hit pause on the recording.

"off the record, what's the honest answer?" toni asked, and jughead chucked and rubbed the back of his head.

"don't take this the wrong way, but  _you_. i did something really stupid and broke your heart and i never wanted to do that to another person ever again. that was honestly the changing point for me and you inspired me to not only be a better writer but a better person in general."

"heh, yeah i know what you mean. i did something stupid to someone i care about too and yet they still inspire me to this day." toni said as she looked down at her feet.

"cheryl?" forsythe asked. toni looked back up and him and opened and closed her mouth a couple times before shaking her head. she resumed the recording.

"let's keep going. books or movies?"

forsythe looked at her for a couple seconds with furrowed brows before blinking rapidly.

"uh, definitely books. don't get me wrong i love movies too but it's just something about the imagination that draws me more to books."

"if you weren't writing novels, what would you be doing?"

"well i'd probably be scheming off my parter at a magazine company." forsythe said in a joking tone, hoping he didn't overstep or that it wasn't too soon to joke about it. he released a breath when he saw toni crack a smile.

"be serious fors." toni's breath hitched at the slip of the nickname that only she has ever called him, and forsythe blinked rapidly in shock when he heard it and cleared his throat.

"no, but seriously. if i weren't a writer i think i'd give photography a shot."

toni cleared her throat before asking her next question.

"last question. when you received your first big paycheck what was the most outrageous thing you bought or wanted to buy."

"i wouldn't say outrageous, but i bought a house for my parents and my little sister. it's not like a fancy mansion or penthouse or anything. just a nice suburban home but it was definitely an upgrade from the small trailer we were living in."

"wow, i didn't know you did that." toni said genuinely.

"yeah. it's something i've always wanted to do for them. i'm just glad i was able to do it the right way, by earning it."

"well that's it, thank you." toni nodded as she stopped the recording.

"thank  _you."_

toni pocketed her phone as one of the stylist handed forsythe a leather jacket to wear over his black wife beater, to go along with his distressed blue jeans and black chuck taylors.

"can i ask you something?" toni asked suddenly.

"well of course, you've already asked me a lot."

toni rolled her eyes.

"i know that what you're wearing now is from my styling department but i've noticed how well you dress now. why the change?"

"eh, i was tired of looking like a bum, i mean wearing that same smelly ass beanie everyday? it was time to let it go. i'm an adult now so it was time to start dressing like it."

"yeah that beanie was gross." toni agreed with a chuckle.

"hey, you said you liked my beanie."

"yeah i lied."

" _wow_ i'm hurt toni. i'm genuinely hurt." forsythe said dramatically while laying his hand over his heart.

"guess that makes us even now huh?"

there was an awkward pause and forsythe's smile faltered. he looked down at his hands as he fiddled his thumbs for a moment before looking back up at toni.

"toni i-"

"forsythe don't. i meant it when i said i forgive you. you don't have to keep apologizing."

"yeah but i-"

"stop. seriously. we're good." toni said with a hint of a smile to let him know she was being serious. 

"life is too short to keep holding a grudge. we're good, honestly."

"wow, i really don't deserve this but thank you toni."

"no problem. now lets get this shoot started." toni said as she placed her hand on his shoulder.

"lets do it." he clapped his hands together once. just then an alarm went off on her phone. she took it out of her pocket to turn it off.

"oh shoot. i gotta run. but i'll be back before your shoot is over. our head of social media is gonna be up here soon to shoot some behind the scenes videos."

forsythe nodded and toni started to back away from him. just as she turned around to head for the door she froze in her tracks as cheryl walked in. cheryl stopped as well and the two made eye contact. toni just closed her mouth and looked down at the floor as she walked past her and out the door.

cheryl took a deep breath as toni walked past her without a word or a second glance. she felt a hint of longing when she got a whiff of her perfume, but it was clouded by anger when she saw forsythe. she shook her head and walked up to the set.

he was standing in front of the cameras doing whatever pose the photographers told him to do. she opened up the topaz instagram account and took a boomerang of him to post on the story. she wrote  _'forsythe jones in the office today, big things coming'_ and posted it.

she walked over to the side and took another video, panning from him to the photographers and posted it to the story without a caption.

she stood near the craft services table, snacking on some of the fruit as he changed into another look. she took a couple more videos for the official snapchat and posted one to twitter before just standing off to the side and waiting for him to be finished. every now and then he would make a goofy face or do a goofy pose, causing the entire crew to laugh but cheryl just rolled her eyes.

two looks later, cheryl was extremely bored and just ready to get this over with. when the head photographer called it a wrap she stood up from the chair she was sitting in and ran up to him before he could go change.

"forsythe?" she said as she tapped him on the shoulder and he turned around to face her.

"yes?"

"I’m the head of topaz social media, can i get a video of you for the instagram page?"

"sure, what do you need me to say?"

"just your name and that you'll be featured in the august issue."

"alright, just say when."

cheryl held up the phone and pressed record and pointed at him to start speaking.

"what's up guys? this is forsythe jones, author of _break away_ and _game of guilt_ and i have the honor and privilege of being featured in the august issue of topaz magazine so stay tuned." he finished with a wink and cheryl had to suppress an eye roll. 

"alright thank you."

"thank _you_ , uh.." forsythe stuck out his hand and cheryl reluctantly shook it.

"cheryl."

forsythes eyes widened and his hand that was shaking cheryl's froze.

"cheryl?  _you're_  cheryl?"

"i'm guessing toni told you about me." cheryl sighed and her fake smile faltered a bit.

"yeah... n-nothing bad though. we talked about you when we had lunch-"

"ha, yeah i know all about your lunch date."

"our lu- wait no that wasn't- i was just-"

"whatever it's none of my business." cheryl said and went to walk away when forsythe chased after her.

"wait cheryl let me explain." he started and she turned back around to face him.

"explain what? how you just show up here out of the blue and go on a date with my girlfriend."

"girlfriend? i didn’t- she just said it was complicated-"

"oh did she now? so what you think you can just swoop in a take her just because we're on a break?" cheryl snapped.

"what? no i-"

"cheryl?"

cheryl snapped her head around to see toni standing there with her arms crossed and a confused look on her face.

"what's going on here?" she said as she walked towards the altercation.

"nothing." cheryl answered shortly and walked past her to leave the room.

"aren't you gonna go after her?" jughead asked after seeing the look of hurt on toni's face.

"no." toni shook her head, and forsythe furrowed his brows. "she wants space. i'm giving it to her. i'm tired of fighting."

"toni. i'm sorry. this is all my fault for coming here and taking you to lunch."

"it's not your fault. this goes deeper than you."

"are you okay?" 

"i don't know."

-

toni sent cheryl an email at 4:30 asking her to meet her in her office after work. she didn't reply but she knows cheryl read it. it was 5 o'clock signaling the end of the work day and she waited patiently for cheryl to knock on her door.

after the longest minute ever of her just staring at her door she heard three knocks.

"come in."

the door was opened and toni released a nervous breath as an equally nervous cheryl entered her office.

"you wanted to see me?"

"yes." toni motioned to her table off to the side of her office and cheryl followed her and took a seat across from her.

toni rested her hands on top of the table and fiddled with her thumbs before taking a deep breath.

"we need to talk."

those four words. those four words never meant anything good. those were four words that cheryl has said to many women before. she was scared of where this conversation was going.

"about?" she said with a slightly worried expression.

"about... us. our relationship"

"is this about what i said to forsythe-" 

"no cheryl, no. this isn't about anyone but you and me. cheryl... i don't know what else i can say or do to apologize, and i know you're still mad at me. i'm tired cheryl. i'm so tired of fighting. we can't keep doing this. we're hurting each other"

"so what are you saying?"

"i think we need to break up."

cheryl's heart cracked and tears welled in her eyes. toni's too.

"really toni? you really wanna break up?" cheryl’s asked with a shaky voice.

"no of course not cheryl. you think i'm choosing to just lose you. no. but we need to. we can't keep going on like this. you asked for a break and space and i'm giving you that but nothing is getting better cheryl-"

"so what this is all my fault?"

" _no!_ oh my God. look. i fucked up cheryl. okay. i fucked up and i can't change what i did. you're still mad at me and you can't help how feel. but this break isn't working cheryl. it's not and you know it. we're at the same place we were when you asked for a break, maybe worse." the tears threatening toni's eyes finally fell down her cheeks.

"i can't believe this is happening." cheryl rasped out.

toni and cheryl just sat there, tears streaming down both of their faces as they absorbed what just happened. they really just broke up. not on a break. broken up. over. done.

without so much as a goodbye cheryl just nodded, wiping the dripping snot from her nose and left her office. and toni just let her go.

toni cried. she bit her lip and her face scrunched up as she just cried. that was the hardest thing she has ever had to do, but it had to be done. she loves cheryl with everything in her but the break wasn't working. everything between them just got worse, and she knows it’s all her fault. she fucked up, then when cheryl asked for space she just kept pushing.

there was a knock on her door and toni looked up as josie walked inside.

"toni? what happened? i just saw cheryl leaving and she was crying."

"we just broke up." toni said as her face scrunched up again and more tears streamed down her face. 

josie's face was struck with shock. she was not expecting that to happen. she pulled the empty chair up to toni's and she sat down and pulled her best friend into a hug. she just held her, as she has been doing a lot these past couple weeks, and toni cried into her shoulder.

"i f-fucked up." toni stuttered through her tears.

"i know honey shh shh."

"it's all my fault." toni said as she sat up. "she asked for space and just kept pushing and trying to talk to her. if i had just left it alone we wouldn't be here."

"you don't know that toni." josie said as she placed a comforting hand on her knee.

"you told me to just leave her alone but i didn't listen and now look." toni said and she took in a shuddering breath and raked her hand through her hair.

"you love hard toni. you can't blame yourself. you just made a mistake."

"a mistake that cost me the love of my life."

josie didn't even know what to say right now. she knew her best friend was heartbroken, so right now she just told her to let it out as she held her.

-

cheryl cried the entire way home. she didn't care about the weird looks she got from people on the subway. she had come to a realization. _cheryl cries_.

when she walked through her front door her tears didn't subside, they only got worse and her sobs got louder. veronica exited her bedroom, dressed for work and immediately ran to her.

"cheryl? what happened?" she asked worriedly after cheryl collapsed into her arms.

"toni and i b-broke up."

"what?" veronica asked, her jaw dropping in shock as she held her shaking best friend.

"th-this is all my f-fault. i pushed her away and now she's gone."

veronica just held her tighter and told her to just let it all out.

 

  


 


	22. aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> again don't be mad at me...
> 
> enjoy and catch me on twitter @cheryltoepaz

_three weeks later_

three weeks filled with tears, sadness, anger, longing, guilt, stubbornness.

three weeks of barely being able to get out of bed.

three weeks since cheryl and toni both lost the loves of their lives.

three weeks since toni and cheryl broke up.

but this breakup, whether they realize it yet or not, was the best thing that could've happened to them. it gave toni the opportunity to put things in perspective. to put herself in cheryl's shoes and realize why she was so angry with toni.

something toni realized is that, for her entire life, cheryl has dealt with rejection. rejection from her birth parents, rejection from her foster parents and that's why she's had to work so hard for the things she's earned. because it's all she knows. nothing has ever been handed to her. so when toni just handed her a promotion she knows it made cheryl feel unworthy, like she didn't earn it, which is something that cheryl has told her she fears.

she also realized that she is her first girlfriend, and her first relationship ever. she knows that cheryl has never been taught how to be in a healthy relationship because she's never witnessed one. she's never been taught how to love, how to trust, how to communicate. but she was learning with toni and toni knows she broke that trust and tried to force cheryl to communicate when she knew she wasn't ready yet.

this breakup gave cheryl the opportunity to put herself into toni's shoes too. toni grew up wealthy. yeah, she works hard and has worked for her own money but she also had the privilege of being spoiled. cheryl knows that toni wants to spoil her and that is something that she is not used to. all she wanted to do was give cheryl the world, but cheryl wanted to earn it.

toni has also grew up in a two parent household. a two parent household where her parents actually loved her and each other. she was taught all the things that cheryl wasn't. cheryl was learning with toni, but toni was also learning with cheryl too. because of cheryl, toni has come off her high horse, she's humbled herself, shes become more forgiving and understanding, she's changed for the better. cheryl knows that toni understands she fucked up big time. and when toni fucks up she will do anything in her power to make it right. toni loves hard.

another thing cheryl has realized is that she isn't even mad at toni anymore. that anger went away the second toni said ' _break up'._ but she knew it was for the best. toni was fighting for cheryl and cheryl didn't want her to. so what was the point of staying in a relationship? toni was right, they were just hurting each other.

they still love each other, but it needed to be done.

-

"oh my God, it's toni topaz. ceo and chief editor of topaz magazine. can i please get your autograph?"

"you are such a loser." toni rolled her eyes as forsythe approached her.

"well if i can't get your autograph can i at least get you a drink?"

"sure." she says and forsythe walks away.

over the past few weeks toni and forsythe have been getting closer as they finished the august issue. she was present at his second photoshoot which was on a location out of the office. they ended up getting coffee afterwards as toni did his third interview. they sat together with her head photographer to pick out which photos they liked and which ones should be featured in the magazine and which one should be on the cover, as well as going over the layout for the entire magazine. and they had gotten lunch a few times sporadically during the last three weeks.

and now tonight was the issue launch party that topaz magazine hosts every month after a new issue drops. the issue is doing amazing especially now that topaz magazine is on social media, meaning more clicks to their digital magazine.

forsythe walked back towards her with two glasses of champagne in his hand. he extended one to toni with a smile and they both took a sip.

"i gotta say toni, i really doubted you but you came through. the issue was great."

"thank you i- wait what? you doubted me?"

"oh yeah. tremendously." forsythe paused before falling into a fit of laughter resulting in a slap to the shoulder from toni.

"no but seriously. i didn't doubt you for a single second. the issue came out great and you made me look really good so that's a bonus."

"you didn't need much help with that mister style icon."

"well i can't disagree with that." forsythe said as he dusted the shoulder of his navy blue blazer.

"no but not just the photos. your articles were amazing. you left nothing out. it's real and raw. that the main reason why i wanted topaz magazine first."

"yeah a lot of magazine's always like to sugarcoat stuff but here at topaz we're all about the real. but those were all your words, i just wrote them down."

"still. you're an amazing writer toni. just as i've always known you to be, even though i was too stupid to realize it then." forsythe just stared down at toni, his eyes were soft and his lips were curled into a soft smile. toni stared up at him for a few seconds before taking in a breath to break the moment.

"i still can't believe you dress like this now though. i mean, black turtleneck. john lennon glasses.  _loafers."_

"hey i look good." forsythe said jokingly as he ran his fingers through his hair and toni joined in with laughter.

-

there was a knock on the door and veronica walked to the door to open it, revealing a smiling josie.

"hey baby." josie said as she walked into the apartment.

"hello love." they leaned in for a chaste kiss.

"you guys ready?"

"i hope so. cheryl!" veronica called out and a couple seconds cheryl came out of her room.

"i don't think i'm going." cheryl said.

"yes the hell you are." veronica demanded.

"i don't know ronnie i just- i have that dinner tomorrow i think i should just chill tonight."

"no you're trying to avoid toni. but that's your place of work too cheryl and you had a major hand in promoting this issue so you are going. you need to get out of that room you've been hiding in for the past three weeks." veronica said with seriousness laced in her voice. her eyes softened when she saw the somber look on cheryl's face. she walked up to her and placed her hands on her shoulders.

"look cher, i know it hurts, but it's not going to get better by wallowing in your room everyday. please come out with your best friend. we got you okay."

cheryl looked over at josie who gave her a smile and a nod of encouragement.

"okay." cheryl said with a small smile and a nod. she finished getting dressed and the three of them were out the door 15 minutes later.

as cheryl sat in the backseat of josie's car she couldn't help but ponder just how much she was dreading this. her mind was going crazy. she really wanted to see toni but at the same time she really didn't want to see toni. but the thought that was running through her head the most is how toni probably didn't want to see her.

toni hasn't said a single word, hell not even a glance her direction, since they broke up. even in meetings, toni avoids looking her direction.

_this is what you asked for cheryl, and now it's what you get._

cheryl had to fight back tears as the drove down the street towards her office building. josie pulled the car up to the sidewalk and the three of them exited the car as josie tossed the keys to daniel. cheryl looked up at the office and released a sigh. she felt a hand grab hers and she looked away from the building and to her best friend next to her.

"it's going to be alright." veronica said reassuringly with a smile. cheryl put on her best smile and nodded as the three of them headed into the building.

they were late so when they walked into the office everyone was already there. as they stood near the entrance cheryl scanned the room, purposefully. she saw exactly who she was looking for. toni was standing with forsythe, kevin and kevin's boyfriend moose. she was mid laugh.

suddenly cheryl’s breath hitched when toni looked over and made eye contact with her and her laughter instantly stopped. they held their gazes for a few seconds. toni didn't look happy to see her but she didn't look angry either. it was hard to read her face but a few moments later toni took a deep breath and turned away, back to her conversation. once again cheryl had to fight back tears.

"hey." veronica put her hand on her shoulder and turned her, forcing her to look away from toni and at her.

"you want a drink?" she asked.

"yes please." cheryl replied and the three women walked to the other side of the office towards the set up bar.

...

toni was in mid laugh, laughing about some story forsythe was telling when she saw three people walk into the office out of the corner of her eye. curious to see who had arrived she turned to look and her laughter instantly halted when she saw cheryl.

she looked so beautiful. toni wanted to wave, wanted to talk to her, smile at least. but she couldn't. that would open a door that she doesn't think they are ready for yet. she doesn't know if cheryl is still mad at her or not, so she left it alone and turned her attention back to her conversation.

"you good?" forsythe asked, noticing her demeanor change.

"yeah." toni answered shortly, while nodding her head. she took a sip of her second glass of champagne.

"you wanna go talk to her?"

"no."

"toni-"

"fors. i'm good." toni snapped.

"okay." forsythe knew she wasn't good but he dropped it. he scanned the room to find cheryl. she was at the bar fixing a drink and he could tell from across the room that cheryl wasn't good either. it was all in her face. he sighed and just took a sip of his drink and fell back into their conversation.

...

cheryl stood off to the side of the office with veronica as she nursed her drink. every now and then some of the other employees would walk by and wave or say hi, but she kept herself distant from the party.

she was longing for toni. she watched her as she mingled with everyone. she watched as she laughed with forsythe. she watched as she smiled at him. watched as he smiled at her. she should be smiling at _her_ not him. but she ruined it. she pushed her away and right into the arms of her ex. that's where her mind was going at least.

she furrowed her brows as toni leaned in closer to say something to him before he nodded and she walked away. she watched as she walked to the front of the office and raised her glass in the air and tapped it with a spoon to get everyone’s attention.

"good evening everyone. Well, we did it. another great issue is out. as always thanks to everyone who had a part in this. thanks to our photographers and design crew. thanks to all my writers who had amazing pieces in this issue. big thank you to our new head of social media, who helped our digital magazine get ten times more clicks than our july issue. and i hope the numbers increase for the september issue. but most importantly thank you to forsythe for being such an amazing client."

"thank  _you all_  for making me look... way more good looking than i actually am." forsythe said causing everyone to laugh. everyone except cheryl.

"i think i speak for everyone when i say we are going to miss working with you but we hope it's not the last time."

cheryl couldn't help the puff of air that left her mouth. veronica placed her hand on her shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly.

"so lets raise our glasses. to topaz magazine for another great issue. and to our client of the month, forsythe pendleton jones the third."

cheyrl shook her head and set her glass on the table behind her.

"i can't do this. i'm gonna go." cheryl walked away but veronica chased her grabbed her arm to stop her just as she crossed over the threshold of the front doors.

"cheryl wait."

"ronnie please. i just want to go home." cheryl held back her tears and veronica could tell she was struggling.

"okay, let me get josie."

"no. you two stay and mingle. i'll just take the subway."

"cheryl no. i'm not gonna let you go alone. josie can stay, i'll come with you."

"ronnie please. go have a nice evening with your girlfriend. i'll be fine. i promise."

"are you sure?" ronnie asked, hesitant to let cheryl go.

"yes. i'll see you when you get home."

veronica nodded and let go of cheryl's arm and watched her apprehensively as she walked onto the elevator.

"everything okay." josie's voice startled veronica as she slid her hand around veronica's lower back.

"i don't know. she didn't want to stay. i told her i would go with her but she basically begged me to stay. i hate this josie. i've never seen her like this before. so... broken."

"i know baby. i'm sorry." josie said as she wrapped her arms around her waist and pressed a kiss to her shoulder.

"i know she told you to stay, but you should go home baby. she needs you right now."

"are you sure?"

"yes, i'll come over after the party."

veroncia nodded and leaned in for a chaste kiss before leaving the office and disappearing into an elevator.

...

forsythe saw cheryl storm out. he saw toni see cheryl storm out. he saw the hurt in toni's eyes and suddenly he had a plan to help toni feel better.

"hey, great speech." he said as toni walked back over to where he was standing.

"thanks." she said with less enthusiasm than she had before.

"hey, do you have plans tomorrow?"

"no."

"well i'm going to this charity even tomorrow afternoon. would you like to come with me? and maybe we can get dinner afterwards?"

"i don't know-"

"toni come on. you have been walking around here like a robot for the past three weeks."

"i have not-"

"you put on a brave face when you're at work but i can see that it's bullshit. i can see it in your eyes. i know you go to work and then you go straight home. you can't wallow, so please let me take you out for some fun. and if you absolutely hate it and would rather be at home staring at pictures of cheryl while eating a half gallon of cookies and cream ice cream then i promise i'll take you right back home."

that last line made toni let out a chuckle which forsythe smiled in response.

"so is that a yes?"

toni let out a drawn out sigh.

"okay. okay fine."

"yes!" forsythe pumped his fist and toni rolled her eyes.

"i can't believe you still remember my favorite ice cream."

"please, i could never forget how tasteless you are."

"ow wow." toni said fake hurt, and the two fell into a fit of laughter before just staring at each other, until their moment was interrupted by kevin walking up to them.

-

"i cannot fucking believe you're going on a date with that asshole forsythe." fangs said as he laid on top of toni's bed, his feet crossed in front of him and hands rested under his head.

"for the tenth time it's not a date. we're just going to a charity event and then maybe dinner." toni said as she walked out of her bathroom wearing a short white sundress.

"sounds like a date to me." fangs scoffed

"well, it's not."

"well i don't trust that asshole."

"he's changed fangs."

"people don't change toni."

"i did."

"well... that's different."

"how?"

"i don't know but i still don't trust him."

"and you don't have to. but i've forgiven him fangs. life's too short to hold grudges. you see what happened with me and cheryl, we broke up fangs and our relationship is hard as fuck to repair right now. i at least want one thing fixed."

"i just don't want you to get hurt again." fangs sat up and sat on the edge of the bed.

"and i appreciate that. you're my brother, you're supposed to protect me. but..." she placed her hands on his shoulders, "it's not a date."

"okayyy."

suddenly there was a knock on the door and martin walked inside.

"toni. mr. forsythe is here." he announced.

"thank you martin."

she grabbed her purse and her phone and walked out of the room, fangs in tow. they descended the stairs and forsythe was waiting in the foyer wearing khakis, a short sleeve white button up, buttoned up half way, and white converse.

"hey." forsythe said as toni reached the bottom of the steps.

"hey." toni replied and fangs cleared his throat causing forsythe to look at him. fangs felt smug about the nervous look on his face.

"forsythe." fangs said sternly, with his arms crossed over his chest.

"hey fangs." forsythe said after clearing his throat.

"just want you to know that i don't like you."

"fangs-" toni warned.

"but. my sister said she forgives you for stealing from her. so i guess i'm okay with this. but, i swear if you are just using her again i will personally kick your ass."

"i understand. and i promise you, i am not using her. i just want a chance to show her how much i've changed that's all. and maybe you'll see it one day too."

"yeah. we'll see." fangs replied but still kept up his cold exterior.

"okay we should get going. see you later fangs." toni walked out of her front door that was being held open by martin and forsythe followed her out. he opened the front door for her before running around to the drivers side.

"ready?"

toni nodded and he started the car and drove off her property.

"so fangs still hates me." forsythe laughed out to break the silence.

"to be fair up until a month ago i hated you too."

"that's fair. i just hope that one day he can see how much i really have changed. like you have, even though i don't deser-"

"forsythe i swear if you say you don't deserve it one more time,  _i_ will personally kick your ass. i know you’re trying to make up for your mistakes, but you don't have to keep saying you don't deserve it, because you do."

forsythe looked at her with a side smile before chuckling and nooding his head as he turned back to look at the road.

"okay. okay."

about twenty minutes later forsythe pulled his car into a parking space near union square park. he hopped out and jogged around the car to let toni out.

as they walked into the park there was a stage and a band was playing. there were also some food vendors set up. there were a few games, like cornhole set up, and a booth for kids to get their face painted.

"so were you trying to match with me on purpose or?" forsythe spoke up and toni took a second to admire both of their outfits.

"this was just a coincidence."

"yeah sure." forsythe said sarcastically and he bumped toni's shoulder as they continued walking towards the stage.

"so what's this event for?" toni asked.

"just a small little event put on by some of the local authors to raise money for the smaller libraries around the city."

"that's so nice. topaz magazine could've covered this."

"hey we're not here to talk or think about work okay. we're here to enjoy ourselves. so what do you wanna do first? play some cornhole? get a snow cone? oh! get your face painted?" forsythe said with a smirk as he wiggles his eyebrows.

"absolutely not, but i'm down for a snow cone."

so after the two talked over snow cones, they played a game of cornhole, laughing loudly and high-fived at the end. they visited some of the food vendors and sampled some food. they stopped by the information booth where they both made a sizable donation. then after almost 10 minutes of forsythe begging toni to get her face painted she settled for a hand painting. they both sat down in chairs as two women painted on them.

"i can't believe you're actually painting your face right now." toni chuckled as she watched the woman paint a butterfly on the top of her left hand.

"i'm still a big kid at heart. it will wash off."

toni just chuckled and shook her head. she was actually having a great time today. it's the first time since the breakup that she's left her house for something other than work. it's the first time since the breakup that she's genuinely had fun instead of having to put on her brave face for work. It’s the first time she’s genuinely smiled and felt happy since the breakup.

"alright all done." the lady doing forsythe's paint said as she backed away.

"how do i look?" forsythe asked and toni just bursted into laughter. he had fangs and blood painted on his chin to make him look like a vampire.

"out of everything in that book you really chose the vampire?"

"hey it's better than that boring butterfly you just got on your hand." forsythe said as he admired his face paint through a hand held mirror.

"yeah yeah. you just better wash that off before we get dinner."

forsythe snapped his eyes up to toni.

"so we are getting dinner?"

"aren't we?"

"yeah so i guess this means you aren't having a horrible time."

"hmm no it's not  _horrible."_

"good. that means my plan worked." forsythe said as he stood from his chair. toni furrowed her brows and was about to ask what plan, but dropped it and followed him towards the stage.

they walked through the crowd to stand closer to the front just as the band on stage finished a song. a man walked on the stage and grabbed the microphone.

"good afternoon everyone how are we doing today?" the man asked and the crowed cheered and applauded. "great! well thank you all so much for coming out today and for all your support and donations. at this time we are gonna have a few words from a very special someone. the person is new york born and raised. author of number 1 sellers and up and coming movies  _break away_ and  _game of guilt._ put your hands together for mr. forsythe jones!"

toni  _woo'd_ and clapped her hands as forsythe made his way into the stage.

"what's up everyone!" forsythe started as the crowd began to cheer again.

toni watched, and she didn't even realize she had a smile on her face as forsythe gave a small speech. he talked about his childhood and how he didn't grow up with much and did anything, sometimes stupid things, to make a quick buck. he talked about how he didn't have many friends and that he used reading and writing to escape. but the end of his speech is what really awed toni.

"and now that i'm successful i don't want to be selfish. i want to give back because i didn't have someone to do that for me when i was growing up. i want to use what i have now to make sure kids today can have everything they need."

when forsythe finished his speech toni joined in with the applause with a bright smile on her face as she watched him make his was back over to her.

"great speech." toni said when he stopped directly in front of her.

"thanks." he said with a soft smile. the two of them just stared at each other for a few moments before forsythe raised his eyebrows and drew in a breath.

"uh what do you say we hang here for about ten or fifteen more minutes then go get dinner? sound good?"

"sounds good to me."

"great! i don't know about you but i've been craving italian."

-

"cher are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" veronica asked as she sat on the edge of cheryl's bed.

"yes ronnie, i'm sure. i've been too dependent on other people lately. this is something i want to do on my own."

"alright, i get it. but call me if you need me okay."

"okay mom." cheryl said jokingly and veronica scoffed out a laugh and stood up from the bed and followed her best friend out of her bedroom.

"are you nervous?"

"extremely."

"well good luck bitch. i hope everything turns out fine."

cheryl laughed as she reached the front door.

"you and me both. bye bitch."

-

cheryl climbed the stairs to the ground level and headed in the direction of the restaurant. penelope had invited her to her home but cheryl informed her that she wasn't ready for that so they agreed to drive to the city and meet her at any restaurant of her choice.

cheryl opened the front door to her favorite italian restaurant, and stood by the hostess stand as she scanned the restaurant.

"looking for a party?" the hostess asked.

"yes i- oh nevermind i see them." cheryl said when she spotted penelope waving at her.

her heart picked up speed and thudded in her ears the closer she got to the squared table. she saw two more sets of red hair sitting at the table and the both turned at the same time to look at her and stood from the table. the younger red head looked so similar to her. both men smiled as she finally reached them.

"cheryl you made it." penelope said as she walked around the table. she pulled cheryl into a hug and she froze awkwardly and drew in a shuddering breath. she didn't hug her back.

"cheryl this is my husband clifford."

"so nice to see you again cheryl." clifford said with a smile as he extended his right hand.

cheryl hated that.

_so nice to see you again._

that's the same thing penelope said to her when they first met. she swallowed down the anger and just shook his hand without saying anything.

"and this is our son jason."

"hi it's so nice to finally meet you. i can't believe i have a sister." jason said and the anger in cheryl seemed to subside at his genuine excitement. for all, it wasn't his fault that his parents gave her up, and they probably didn't even tell him about her. she shook his hand matching his smile.

"likewise." she said.

"so shall we sit. cheryl i would really love to know everything about you."

the four of them took a seat at the squared table, cheryl sitting in between penelope and jason with clifford directly across from her.

"so what do you do?" the older blossom man asked.

"well i was a bartender for about almost 10 years but now i work at topaz magazine as head of social media."

"topaz magazine? like toni topaz? that's amazing, her magazine is incredible. you all just released an issue about that new up and coming author, what's his name? forsythe?" clifford asked.

cheryl's eye twitched.

"yeah. we did."

"toni topaz is also her girlfriend." penelope said with a smile, and cheryl's breath hitched.

"oh really?"

"actually we uh. we broke up."

"oh i didn't know. i'm so sorry." penelope said with a frown.

"it's okay. i'd rather not discuss it." cheryl shrugged and there was an awkward pause at the table that was saved by a waiter coming up to the table to take their drink orders. cheryl ordered a chardonnay, feeling like she needs  _something_ to help her get through this dinner.

"so. tell me more about yourself? where did you grow up."

cheryl furrowed her eyebrows and turned her direction towards penelope.

"you didn't tell him?"

penelope opened and closed her mouth and the nervous expression on her face said it all.

"well. to tell you the truth clifford. i grew up in that foster home you left me at." cheryl said trying to keep her voice calm and cliffords eyebrows rose in shock.

"you never got adopted?" jason suddenly asked.

"nope. you got to grow up with parents who love you, while i grew up in a home with 10 other kids and foster parents who only cared about those monthly checks coming in."

"cheryl-" clifford started but cheryl interrupted him.

"don't say you're sorry. don't. i don't need lies, i've had enough of those."

"i wasn't going to apologize. i was going to say that there is no excuse. at the time we really thought we were giving you a better life but deep down we were selfish. we should've came back for you or at least tried to contact you sooner but we didn't. i can't even imagine the pain that has cost you. we hurt you and no amount of apologies can ever fix that."

cheryl just sat there and took a large gulp of her wine.

_we hurt you and no amount of apologies can ever fix that._

the words kept repeating in her head. clifford had no idea just how deep those words cut. he had know idea the double meaning those words held.

_we hurt you and no amount of apologies can ever fix that._

cheryl didn't even understand until now. she started to think of one person. one person who has hurt her. one person who has apologized so many times. one person who figured that no amount of apologies will fix anything. one person she lost.

"your right. apologies won't fix anything. but actions will-"

"and," penelope interrupted. "that's why we are so glad you decided to get dinner with us. we didn't take actions before but we want to start taking actions now. we want to start making you apart of this family."

cheryl looked around the table at two blossom adults who were smiling widely and at the younger blossom man, who had an almost confused expression as if he could read cheryl's feelings right now.

"let's make a toast." clifford said as he raised his glass in the air.

"to the blossoms."

cheryl suddenly felt sick. here she was sitting with people who a month ago didn't give two shits about her, now toasting to some kind of perfectly family that cheryl doesn't even know if she wants to be apart of.

she started to sweat and her breathing picked up. penelope furrowed her brows and placed a hand on her forearm causing her to flinch.

"cheryl, what's wrong?"

"i just-" cheryl looked towards the front door of the restaurant, in hopes to escape but her face froze in shock and then her eyebrows pointed down in anger as she saw two people enter the restaurant.

she couldn't believe what she was seeing. she actually couldn't believe it. toni and forsythe had entered the restaurant. she watched as they followed the hostess to a table. forsythe put his hand on her lower back to guide her to walk in front of him. she watched as they both smiled and thanked the hostess as they took their seats.

"i can't do this." cheryl abruptly stood from her seat and fast walked towards the front door.

when she got outside she walked as fast away from the restaurant as possible, not even trying to hold back the tears the threatened her eyes. suddenly she heard her name being shouted. she turned around to see jason chasing her.

"cheryl wait up." he breathed. he slowed his jog to a stop when he caught up to her.

"don't try to convince me to go back in there. i can't do this. not today." cheryl tried to walk away but jason lightly put his hand on her shoulder to stop her.

"hey i'm not gonna convince you to go back inside. i just wanted- i just- never mind you probably- it was stupid." jason sighed in defeat as he awkwardly scratched the back of his neck.

"what?"

"i understand why you're mad at my parents. hell, i'm mad at them too. all my life i've had a sister that i never knew about and they didn't even tell me. what they did to you, i can't even imagine how you must feel right now. they're really shitty for that."

"yeah you got that right." cheryl chuckled as she quickly wiped a tear that escaped her eye.

"and i get it if you don't want anything to do with them but i just- i don't know i kind of want to get to know you. but i get it if you don't want to."

"i don't know jason. i just. today, right now is just not a good time. my life has been really shitty for the past month and i just don't know if i can handle anything else."

"well then vent to me."

"you don't want to hear about my problems."

"sure i do. come on whether you like it or not we're blood. what do you have to lose?"

cheryl took a minute to think about it. jason really was a genuine person who seemed very eager to get to know her. plus he had been lied to his whole life as well. he may not have had a hard life like cheryl but he understands. and it’s not his fault for his parents decisions.

"sure. why not."

jason walked her to his car, thanking God he drove himself. he drove them to central park and they started to stroll through the park. as they walked, she told him the entire story of her life. how she was dropped off at a foster home at 6. how her foster parents didn't give a shit about her. how she was never adopted. how she met veronica and how they started working at a bar together. how they were kicked out at 18 and moved into an apartment together. how she used to be a player. how she started working at topaz magazine and everything that has happened between her and toni.

"and i saw her and her and forsythe walk into the restaurant we were just in and i just… couldn't do it any more. all of that shit with your parents and then seeing them together i just- i had to get out of there."

"damn, i'm sorry cheryl. i definitely understand how hard it is to see someone you love move on."

"yeah it fucking sucks. she’s is partly responsible, why does she get to be happy."

"maybe, and i know you probably don't want to hear this, but maybe you should move on too. i know you still love her but maybe it's time. it's been three weeks and you haven't spoken. plus it looks like she's moved on. maybe it's time."

"you know what jason. you are absolutely right. listen i wanna get to know you too so let's swap numbers, but right now i need to go. there's something i need to do."

-

"so let me ask you something." toni said as she swirled her fork in the last few bites of her spaghetti.

"shoot."

"in the park you said your plan is working. what plan?"

"the plan to help you feel better."

"oh."

"and not to be smug, but it worked. you've been having a great day today, admit it."

"ugh okay fine. today has been great. it's the first time since the breakup, actually since we took a break, that i've actually had fun. so, thank you."

"you don't have to thank me. i'm just glad i could help."

"so what do you get out of this? making me feel better?"

"i'm not gonna lie to you toni… these past few weeks i've been developing feelings for you. i know you don't like me that way and i swear i'm not just doing this to get back with you, cause i'm probably the last person you wanna give a second chance to in that way. but i just thought you should know. and i know i'll probably  _never_  have a chance with you but knowing that i could make you genuinely smile after you've been hurting,  _that's_ what i get out of this."

toni was a little surprised at the declaration of feelings forsythe just made. but, she couldn't help the small smile that grew on her face at the pure sincerity in his voice.

"never say never fors."

"wait what do you-"

"alright how are we doing? would you like to order any dessert?" forsythe was interrupted by the waiter.

"i think i am good, you?" toni responded.

"no i'm okay."

"alright i'll be right back with your check." the waiter said before walking away.

"hey, you wanna go for a walk once we leave?" toni said before forsythe could get a work out.

"sure."

after forsythe insisted on paying the bill, with little argument from toni, the two went for a walk through central park. they were silent for awhile as they strolled down the sidewalk. it was nearing 9 and the sun was starting to set.

forsythe brushed his arm against toni and let out a small chuckle when she did the same. without looking he slid his fingers over her palm before intertwining their fingers.

"is- is this okay?" he asked as he looked down at her. she paused for a moments, as if thinking, before nodding and they both turned to look back in front of them, every now and then they would look down at their hands or their feet or each other but no words were spoken. this takes toni back to when they first started dating, before everything between them went to shit.

after walking for a few minutes forsythe motioned to an empty bench and toni nodded as he led her over to it. the sat down and their hands stayed connected.

"so." forsythe said, breaking the silence.

"so." toni echoed and forsythe turned his body so he was facing her more.

"in the restaurant you said never say never. what did you mean by that?"

"fors,” toni sighed. “i just got out of a relationship. an amazing relationship. but, we broke up, and I don’t know what our future holds. and i don't know what i'm feeling right now but... i'm feeling this." toni said as she held up their joined hands.

"really?"

toni nodded.

forsythe dropped his eyes to toni's lips and he scooted in closer before raising them back up to toni's eyes.

"can- can i kiss you? y-you can say no."

toni breathed out a laugh at his nervousness before nodding.

"are you sure?"

"yes." toni really appreciate him double checking to make sure she was okay with it.

forsythe looked down at her lips again before slowly leaning in. toni's heart was thudding in her chest the closer his face got to hers. she heard forsythe's breath shudder when their foreheads connected. forsythe tilted his head as they leaned in the rest of the way and their lips connected softly.

it lingered for a couple seconds before forsythe pulled back. he looked into toni's eyes before they leaned back in. forsythe closed his lips over toni's bottom lip. they pulled a part only to connect again, pressing and pulling slowly.

forsythe removed his hand from toni's and put it on her waist and he rested his other hand on her knee. toni put her hands on the sides of his neck, her thumbs resting on his jaw.

the kiss was sweet, it wasn't lust filled at all. there wasn't much tongue either. every now and then toni would feel the tip of his tongue press into her bottom lip but not in an asking for entrance kind of way.

forsythe tilted his head to the other side, toni following his lead, as he ever so slightly deepened the kiss, just opening his mouth a little wider into it. toni breathed deeply through her nose as she wrapped her hands around the back of his neck and tangled her fingers into his hair.

forsythe groaned lightly into the kiss. he squeezed her knee and slid his hand up her leg. he only made it an inch higher before toni sucked in a sharp breath and pulled away from the kiss.

"i'm sorry i'm sorry, did i take it too far?" forsythe rushed out panically, instantly removing his hands from toni's body.

"no no i just- i'm sorry."

"why are _you_ sorry?"

"i don't know if i'm ready for that yet. i'm… i'm not over her."

"i understand. you did  _just_  break up three weeks ago."

"i still love her fors, i'm sorry."

"hey you don't have to apologize for that toni. and it's okay if you're not ready. but toni, i will wait for you. as long as it takes."

"what if it takes forever?"

"then forever it shall be." forsythe said with a smile. "come here."

forsythe opened his arms and toni leaned into him and rested her head on his shoulder.

-

cheryl walked into the bar, wearing a black leather skirt, white crop, black heels, hair pulled up into a high ponytail, full face of makeup, dark eye shadow, dark lips.

she hasn't dressed this way in long time. she almost felt like her old self.

she scanned the bar with a smirk. it was saturday and it was packed. luckily veronica wasn't working tonight.

because tonight, she only has one thing on her mind.

to move on.

 

 


	23. moving on

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry it took a little longer to get this one out. writers block sucks.
> 
> this chapter is shorter than i expected but worry not, next chapter will be exponentially longer. also this chapter is from the view point of veronica and josie.
> 
> and i know you guys are probably tired of angst but y'all wanted realistic writing and that's what you're getting. sometimes relationships aren't gonna be fixed overnight. sometimes it takes time and a lot of mistakes. but please just be patient.
> 
> enjoy and catch me on twitter @cheryltoepaz

veronica dug her teeth into the nail of her thumb as she paced around her living room. she's never been this worried for cheryl before but it's 3:02 in the morning and cheryl still isn't home yet. josie tried to calm her down and usher her back to the couch but it was no use.

"babe, calm down. i'm sure she's fine-" josie cooed as she tried to stop her girlfriend from pacing the floor but veronica broke loose from her grip.

"this isn't like her josie. not anymore." veronica shook her head and crossed her arms as she continued walking back and fourth in front of the couch.

after another five worrisome minutes both girls snapped their head towards the front door to the sound of it being unlocked. cheryl walked through the door barefoot, with her heels in her hand, and froze when she saw veronica and josie standing in the living room, both wearing matching looks of worry.

veronica didn't know if she wanted to hug her or beat her ass. she was glad she was okay but had been worried sick for the last few hours.

"where the hell have you been?" veronica shouted as cheryl made her way into the living room.

"relax mom i was out." there was a slight slur to cheryl's words meaning she was drunk.

"don't  _relax mom_  me. i know you're grown but you still had me worried cher. you told me you were going to dinner with your birth family but then you come home at 3 am tipsy and dressed like  _that_. i have a right to be worried."

"whatever." cheryl rolled her eyes and tried to walk away towards her room but her path was blocked by veronica.

"get out of my way." cheryl huffed annoyingly, too tired and not sober enough to deal with this right now.

"no we need to talk cher."

"no we really don't. i'm so sick of talking."

"cheryl you're making me scared right now."

"scared of what?" cheryl scoffed.

"that you're going back to your old ways."

"well maybe i should."

"why are you doing this?"

"i can't be sad anymore veronica!" cheryl snapped causing her best friend to flinch. "i can't. i'm tired of crying over something that i can't fix. she gets to move on and this whole thing is her fault so why can't i!" cheryl's eyes glass over, her tears threatening to spill but she forced them back.

veronica was frozen. she didn't know how to respond. she just opened and closed her mouth. cheryl, realizing the conversation was now over, rolled her eyes and brushed past her to enter her room, slamming the door shut behind her.

veronica faced her girlfriend who was looking at her with furrowed brows and a look of concern. she opened up her arms and motioned for her to come to her. veronica walked back to the couch and fell next to her and dropped her head on her chest, sighing in content at the arms wrapping tightly around her.

"what are we gonna do?" veronica asked barely above a whisper.

"i don't know baby." josie sighed and placed a kiss to the top of her head. "come on, let's go to bed."

-

"thanks for meeting me." josie said as toni sat down at the table in front of her, inside their favorite brunch spot.

"thanks for inviting me. it's been awhile since we got brunch. i figured you'd be with ronnie."

"yeah well she's uh... dealing with the aftermath of cheryl." josie said hesitantly but looking intently at toni to find any reaction or expression.

"aftermath? what- what do you mean?" toni said with a look of concern and josie sighed.

"cheryl came home drunk last night at 3 in the morning. ronnie said she hasn't done that since before working at topaz. and she's just... worried about her."

"oh." toni said softly, nodding her head but not saying anymore.

josie sat there, in silence for a minute looking intently at toni as she scanned the menu. she knew toni was either trying to avoid the topic, the eye contact or both because they've been to this restaurant a million times and knew the menu like the back of their hands.

"toni?" josie finally spoke up.

"hmm?" she hummed her response, still not making eye contact. josie stared at her for a beat longer before answering.

"what are you doing?"

"i'm trying to figure out what to order-"

"i mean with forsythe toni. what are you doing?"

"what do you mean?"

"you and forsythe? so you really have feelings for him? after everything he's done?"

"he's changed." toni defended with a shrug.

"that didn't answer my question. what are you doing with him?"

"i don't know josie, we're just... hanging out."

"do you have feelings for him?"

"i don't know."

"you don't know?"

"i don't know." toni repeated, not quite sure where josie was going with this.

"what about cheryl?"

"what  _about_ cheryl?" toni echoed.

"is that just it? just forget about cheryl and on to the next one? seriously?"

"what do you want me to say josie?"

"i'm your best fucking friend i want you to be honest with me."

"you really want me to be honest? fine. cheryl isn't mine anymore okay. she probably hates me now. and no matter how much i love her it's over. but forsythe. he's- he's trying-"

"but do you have feelings for him toni?" josie interrupted and toni audibly groaned.

"no! okay, there, i said it. no, i don't."

"then what are you doing with him?"

"he was  _there!"_ toni paused when she realized how loud her voice got and she continued at a calmer volume. "he was there josie. and he was saying all the right things. he's putting forth an effort. he's doing and saying everything the one person i want isn't."

josie sighed. she finally understood but it honestly broke her heart a little. her best friend was vulnerable and fell for the sweet talk of the first person she saw. she felt sad for her best friend. she reached across the table and rested her hand on top of toni's.

"toni. i'm saying this because i'm your best friend but you're really vulnerable right now and you're just using forsythe to fill a void."

"maybe i am"

"toni-"

"maybe i just want to use him. it's not like he's gonna care. he doesn't even care that i'm still in love with cheryl and he said he'd wait forever if he has to."

"but toni-"

"but nothing josie. can we please just drop it."

josie looked at her with sadness filling her eyes as toni went back to scanning the menu.

"alright... alright."

-

veronica leaned her back up against the counter as she sipped on her coffee. she thought about making breakfast for cheryl but she had no clue when the redhead would be awake.

she also had no idea if cheryl would still be mad at her or not. of course this isn't their first fight but she still wanted to be cautious when the girl finally woke up. and she  _had_  to talk to her.

her heart jumped and she drew in a quick breath when cheryl's bedroom door opened. she gave her a soft smile and her tense shoulders relaxed when cheryl shot her one back.

"morning." veronica greeted softly as cheryl made her way into the kitchen.

"morning."

veronica watched silently as cheryl poured herself a cup of coffee, taking a few breaths before working up the courage to speak.

"cher, can- can we talk?"

"about?" cheryl said as she leaned against the opposite counter and sipped at the hot coffee.

"about... last night?"

cheryl let out a long sigh as she looked down at her coffee mug.

"all you've talked about since the beginning of summer is wanting to change and wanting more for yourself. and i get it, you're going through a tough break up from your first relationship. but, to just take ten steps backwards like that, and basically undo all of the progress, i don't want that for you and i know you don't either-"

"ronnie." cheryl interrupted the girls rambling. "relax. i didn't hook up last night."

veronica released a heavy breath of relief that she didn't even know she was holding.

"you didn't?"

"don't seem so surprised." cheryl scoffed, and veronica shot her a confused look.

"but last night-"

"i went out, had some drinks, danced with some women. but i promise, i didn't hook up or make out with anyone. i'm just tired of being sad. and i'm tired of spending all my free time crying over someone who doesn't want me anymore. it's time to move on, so that's what i'm doing. the old cheryl isn't back but i'm done moping around."

"okay." veronica said but she still wasn't confident that the old cheryl was completely gone and she was still fearful that she would return. she knows cheryl better than anyone and she knows she has suffered rejection all her life. and she knows that cheryl using her charm and sleeping around only to ghost them the next morning is her defense mechanism. one she has been using since she was 17 years old.

yes she has changed. and yes she had found a deep and meaningful relationship with toni. but that's over now. another rejection. and she was afraid that her old habits would return.

for now she was going to trust her friend, but she is still going to keep a close eye on her.

-

another week has passed and veronica and josie had to sit back and watch their best friends, who are so in love, drift further and further apart. and they hated it.

cheryl had been going out every night, even work nights. she purposefully went to other bars and clubs to avoid veronica. but veronica waited up every night to make sure cheryl got home safe. and most nights she came home drunk. veronica hated to see her this way.

cheryl told her she wasn't hooking up and veronica wanted to believe her but there was still that tiny part of her that was worried she was.

"ronnie if i was hooking up i wouldn't be walking in here alone and you know it." cheryl had slurred one night after coming home at 3:30 in the morning.

it's true. back in her fuckgirl days if cheryl was hooking up she'd either bring someone home or stay at their place for the night, only to walk of shame back home the next morning. well, more like walk of pride for cheryl. and this week, cheryl has come home every night, alone, before 4 am, knowing most of the bars close at 3am, so that eases her doubts a little but cheryl has also been known for fucking girls at the bar. she has walked in on her in the bathroom many times.

"are you sure?" ronnie had asked her.

"you don't have to believe me if you don't want to veronica." and cheryl had brushed past her and stumbled into her room.

toni and forsythe had been hanging out every single day. they grabbed lunch everyday during the week, and everyday toni met him outside the office in respect for cheryl. they also ate dinner together almost every night. one day they even took their cameras to the park to shoot some stuff.

although they had been hanging out everyday, they haven't kissed again. not even a kiss on the cheek. the most physical thing they have done is hold hands. forsythe had tried to kiss her again once more but when she put her hand on his chest to keep him back and told him she still wasn't ready, he apologized and hadn't tried to again.

josie hated having to see toni with forsythe, especially since she knew she didn't even have feelings for him. and as much as she hated forsythe, a part of her felt bad for him, being used, even after everything he did to toni in the past. but after getting into another argument with toni about it she decided to just drop it.

"toni you know i love you but this isn't healthy." josie had said to toni in her office one afternoon after toni returned back from lunch.

"i don't get what the big deal is."

"the big deal is that you're heartbroken and you're using forsythe, who you don't even have feelings for, to fill a cheryl sized hole."

"so."

"so? toni you're only gonna end up hurting yourself more, and him. i don't like that asshole one bit, but it's not fair to him for you to be leading him on like that and you know it."

"can you just- leave me alone josie. i'm a fucking adult."

josie scoffed out a laugh and rolled her eyes before standing from her chair.

"yeah and the way you're acting is pretty evident." josie said sarcastically while exiting her office. after that, josie decided not to bring it up again, figuring toni would just have to learn the hard way.

josie knew she and toni would be fine though, it's not the first fight they've had and it certainly won't be the last. besides, toni came running into her office that very next day.

cheryl had walked into the office on friday morning, twelve minutes late, which isn't like cheryl because she had always arrived at work 20 to 30 minutes early since her first day at topaz. and she looked different. she was dressed different. like she was putting fourth an effort.

after the drama went down with those two, toni noticed how cheryl was slacking in the wardrobe department, regular black slacks, a normal blouse, no make up, hair pulled into a ponytail, flats. but on that friday morning it was like a whole different person. she was wearing a black skirt, knee length but tight enough to accentuate her curves. she wore a sleeveless blouse with a floral print that was tucked into her skirt. she remembers cheryl bought it when they went shopping for work clothes one day. she had on tall black heels. her hair was down and wavy, parted in the middle. she had on large sunglasses that covered half her face. when she removed them, toni noticed she had a full face of makeup on, topped off with maroon lipstick.

toni didn't realize she was staring at her until she made eye contact with her. she also didn't realize her mouth was parted.

"hey cheryl, looking good." one of toni's employees, evelyn, had said to her as she walked by, causing cheryl to break away from their eye contact.

"thanks." cheryl simply responded. she flipped her hair over her shoulder and walked to her desk without a second glance at toni. toni followed her with her eyes and watched as cheryl sat down, pulled a small bottle of advil out of her purse and pop two pills into her mouth and swallowed them down with a water bottle she also pulled out of her purse.

toni sucked in a sharp breath and shook her head to bring herself back to reality and ran straight to josie's office.

"so i take it you aren't mad at me anymore." josie said, not even looking up from her computer.

"what's going on with cheryl?" toni asked, completely ignoring josie's comment.

"what do you mean?" josie sighed, tearing her eyes away from her desk and looking up at her best friend.

"first she shows up twelve minutes late, mind you it's the first time she's ever been late to work since her first day here. then she looks like she just said walked out of catalog. i haven't seen her dress like that since-"

"you two dated?" josie finished her sentence and studied her face for a reaction. toni dropped her head and nodded before sitting in the chair in front of josie's desk.

"is... is this it? is this cheryl's way of saying she's over me?" toni said softly, fighting back the water in her eyes.

"do you not want her to be?" josie squinted her eyes.

"i mean-" toni cut herself off, not exactly knowing what to say.

"i'm gonna tell you something toni. something you probably don't know. you remember the night you went out with forsythe, the day after our august issue launch party."

"yeah..."

"well cheryl was at that restaurant you went to with her birth family, and she saw you with forsythe together."

toni leaned back in her chair and rubbed her hand over her mouth as she processed the information.

"how- how did you know?"

"she told ronnie who told me. and ronnie said after that day she just snapped back. she said she's been going out to bars every night and coming home after 3 am every morning."

"she... she's not..."

"ronnie said she isn't but she doesn't know for sure." josie answered knowing immediately what toni was thinking. she eyed her as toni took in this information. she looked somewhat displeased and she had a feeling she knew what toni was thinking. how cheryl had worked so hard to change and toni, just like veronica, was scared she would go back to her old ways.

and she was right. that's exactly what toni was thinking.

"i mean you don't care though right? cause you're dating forsythe now." josie knew it was utter bullshit but she was just trying to get a reaction from toni.

"i'm not- how could you say i don't care?"

"because you could fix this toni, but you both are being so damn stubborn. you love her. it's obvious she loves you too so why the fuck are you messing around with someone you don't even like when the love of your fucking life is sitting right out there." josie snapped and toni's eyes widened in shock.

"it's not that simple."

"of course it's that simple toni, you both are just choosing to make it difficult. God you're so infuriating. you could have something so incredible but you're choosing to torture yourselves, which i don't fucking understand." josie was borderline yelling, which she didn't mean to do, but seeing someone she loves torcher herself like that is just making her snap. she just wants toni to be happy.

"guess you don't understand then." toni rasped out before standing from her chair and exiting the office.

"toni." josie called out to her but toni just walked away. she groaned frustratedly and dropped her head on her desk.

-

veronica rolled her eyes for probably the hundredth time tonight as she wiped down the bar. cheryl was sitting at the bar,  nursing her fourth drink as she flirted with some woman.

"so what's your name sweetheart?" cheryl asked sweetly with a smirk on her face.

"heather." the other woman smiled.

"i love it. are you from around here?"

"just moved here about a month ago. i've never been in a city this big before."

"hmm, so how did you stumble across this little place?"

"my coworker forced me to come out with her but she just left me to dance with some guy."

"aww, well i'm glad i could keep you company." cheryl took notice of how heathers eyes dropped to her lips, and how she scooted forward in her seat a bit. she smirked. "and forgive me if i'm being too forward but you are very gorgeous."

heather blushed and chuckled as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"you aren't and thank you. i think you are too."

veronica slammed the rag on the counter and marched over to stand in front of the two women.

"cheryl can i talk to you for a second?" veronica huffed and crossed her arms over her chest.

"i'm kind of in the middle of a conversation, can it wait?"

"let me rephrase that. cheryl, i need to talk to you." veronica said sternly before walking over to the hallway

"i’m sorry, that's my roommate. i'll be right back." cheryl squeezed heather’s forearm and drained the rest of her drink before standing up and walking into the hallway.

"what." cheryl said impatiently.

"cher, i'm sick of this. you gotta stop."

"am i doing something wrong?"

"yes. you're going back to old cheryl."

"am i? i'm pretty sure i haven't fucked anyone since toni and i broke up."

"yeah but it's only a matter of time-”

“wow” cheryl scoffed out a laugh.

“i didn’t mean it like that cher, that's just my biggest fear."

"what am i supposed to do ronnie? just sit around alone and sad for the rest of my life? wait for toni? she moved on why the fuck can't i?"

"she still loves you cheryl."

"yeah? well where is she?"

there was a pause as the tension grew thicker.

"do you still love her cheryl?"

"what does it matter. she moved on."

"that wasn't my question. do you still love her?" veronica repeated.

"ronnie-"

"cheryl, on everything, stop being a little bitch and answer the damn question." veronica snapped and cheryl curled her fists and drew in a sharp breath.

"of course i love her!" cheryl snapped and if it wasn't for the loud music she was sure the whole bar would probably hear her.

"then stop being so fucking stubborn and fight for her."

cheryl rolled her eyes and dropped them to the floor. it was silent for about 10 seconds before veronica audibly groaned.

"fuck it! you're pushing 30 but both of you are acting like children. you can have something so amazing but if you wanna be stubborn and make yourselves miserable then fine."

veronica stomped away leaving cheryl behind. she didn't mean to snap but she just wants what's best for her best friend. she knows that cheryl and toni are perfect for each other but their stubbornness is starting to wear veronica out.

-

josie tightened her robe around her waist as she made her way to her front door. she turned the hallway light on as she looked through the peep hole. she unlocked and opened the door to reveal veronica who instantly made her way inside.

"babe? what are you doing here? it's 3:30 in the morning. wait. is this a booty call?" josie joked.

"i have a plan and i need you to be on board." veronica rushed out.

"a plan? baby what are you taking about?" josie asked as she rubbed the tiredness out of her eyes.

"i have a plan to get cheryl and toni back together. you in?"

josie crossed her arms over her chest and shifted her weight onto her her right foot, her hip sticking out.

she smirked proudly and veronica smirked back, both silently agreeing to whatever wild plan veronica had.

 


	24. the plan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is probably my favorite chapter so far. and it's long. 10k words to be exact.
> 
> enjoy and catch me on twitter @cheryltoepaz

"toni?" forsythe said for about the fifth time.

"hmm?" toni said snapping her eyes up, coming back to reality. the two were currently sitting in a restaurant eating lunch.

"what's going on with you? you've been kinda out of it lately."

"yeah it's just... a conversation i had with josie a couple days ago." toni said and she moved her salad around her plate with her fork.

"what about?" forsythe asked as he took a bite of his burger.

"honestly... about us, and what we're doing."

"well... what are we doing?" forsythe pushed with a charming smile on his face.

"i want to be completely honest with you but-"

"hey, you can tell me anything toni." forsythe said as he reached across the table and placed his hand on her forearm.

"well to be completely honest, i don't know what we're doing. she kept asking me if i had feelings for you and i said... i..."

"toni, it's okay." forsythe reassured her, squeezing her forearm.

"i said n-no." toni said nervously, searching forsythe's face for a reaction, but was surprised when she saw a look of understanding.

"she said i'm heartbroken and basically just using you as a rebound and i... i think she's right."

"wow." forsythe said but he had a smile on his face which made toni furrow her brows in confusion.

"but i really am grateful to have you though fors. if it wasn't for you i would've never gotten out of my slump."

"well, i am honored to be your rebound and i will gladly be it for as long as you want or need." forsythe slid his hand down her forearm to her hand and adjusted their fingers to intertwine on top of the table.

"see and that's why. you always know exactly what to say. you always say the perfect thing. and you're considerate of my feelings."

forsythe's smile faltered a little and he looked down at their joined hands. he released a sigh before looking back up at toni.

"toni i... there's something i need to tell you." forsythe said, his face suddenly very serious.

"what is it?" toni said voice laced with concern.

"i-" forsythe opened and closed his mouth a few times trying to force the words out. toni leaned forward and gave him an encouraging nod.

"i-" he tried again but was interrupted by the sound of toni's phone ringing.

"i am so sorry, it's probably work." toni removed her hand from forsythe's to dig her phone out of her purse.

"hey kev, what is it? i'm at lunch." toni shot an apologetic look to forsythe as kevin spoke into her ear.

" _ugh_  okay okay, i'll be right there." toni groaned and rolled her eyes as she stood up from her chair, forsythe standing as well.

"i'm am so sorry they need me back at work, can we put this conversation on pause. i'm sorry."

"yeah of course, it's all good. and don't worry, i'll take care of the check."

"thank you so much." toni reached out and squeezed forsythe's arm with a smile before she left the restaurant.

forsythe sighed and his shoulders slumped as he dragged his hand down his face from his forehead to his chin. he sat back down in his chair and looked at the front door guiltily.

-

"hello gentlemen. thanks for meeting with us." veronica said as fangs and joaquin sat on the opposite side of the dining room table in josie's apartment.

"of course. what's this about? it sounded pretty serious when josie called me." fangs said. veronica and josie shared a look before josie nodded her head telling veronica to explain.

"this may sound crazy but, we have a plan to get toni and cheryl back together."

"are you serious?" joaquin chuckled.

"dead serious." veronica said sternly and joaquin's smile instantly fell.

"whatever it is i'm in. cheryl was toni’s best relationship and i'm not about to let my sister throw that away for that asshole forsythe." fangs said and veronica and josie smiled at him.

"okay great. so here's what we need you two do. josie told me she doesn't trust forsythe one bit, neither do i and i don't even know him."

"he gives off that vibe right?" fangs interrupted.

"yes he really does. and josie has a feeling that maybe he's hiding something. he's just too perfect now so we need you two to follow him around for the next few days and see if he is."

"isn't that stalking?" joaquin asked.

"yes it is." veronica replied with no hesitation or care.

"you're right this is crazy... but..." joaquin sighed, "i guess i'm in."

"yeah, we got you." fangs added.

"great." veronica smiles mischievously, "also keep next friday open. we're throwing a party here."

-

for the next few days fangs and joaquin kept up their promise and had been following forsythe around everywhere. joaquin used to be in a gang when he was in high school so he knows all about trailing someone without being detected.

most of the time the two would be sitting in joaquin's car outside of his apartment building. every time he left they followed him. they sat outside restaurants as he and toni got lunch everyday. they followed him to what they assumed were meetings. followed him as he went shopping for clothes and groceries. and then back to his apartment building. it was starting to get boring and repetitive.

"this is getting ridiculous. he's literally the most boring guy ever." joaquin huffed as he sat in the drivers seat of his car, that was parked outside forsythe’s apartment building.

"well josie is sure he's hiding something and honestly i wouldn't be surprised if he was. so we're seeing this through. i'll be damned if i continue to let my sister settle for that motherfu-" fangs started to get angry but was cut off by joaquin wrapping his hand around his neck.

"okay okay. relax babe. we're seeing this through."

fangs took a deep breath and closed his eyes. he leaned forward and slammed his forehead again his boyfriends. he was about to close the distance between them when joaquin gasped and backed away.

"fangs look. remember that blonde woman we saw coming and going everyday this week. and we just assumed she lived here." joaquin said as he pointed towards the front door of the apartment building. fangs looked that direction and gasped before pointing his eyebrows down in anger.

"that bitch." fangs said referring to forsythe who was leaving the building with said woman. they watched him as he walked to his car and he opened the front door for the woman and ushered her inside before climbing into the drivers seat.

"let's go let's go." fangs said and joaquin started the car and peeled out of the spot to follow forsythe.

-

"wait wait are you sure?" josie asked as the four of them sat at her dining room table once again.

"yeah. we followed them to a restaurant and after, we followed them to washington square park. they were just talking for a long time. but..." joaquin trailed off.

"but?" josie and veronica said in unison as they leaned in on the opposite side of the table.

"right before forsythe left... they kissed. it was a short half a second peck, but a kiss non the less."

"i fucking knew it." josie said as she slammed her fist down on the table.

"so after he left she was still sitting there so fangs and i approached her pretending to be fans of forsythe's books and it turns out they have been seeing each other since the beginning of august."

"you're fucking kidding me?" josie said angrily.

"but that's not all." joaquin continued, "apparently she works for 21 magazine."

"oh shit. you think he's just using her for a good story?" veronica asked.

"i'm not sure. it's possible." joaquin replied with a shrug.

"i swear when i get my hands on him." fangs said with clenched teeth and hands balled into fists.

"in due time fangs. but it's time to move on to phase two." veronica said.

"which is?" joaquin asked and the two boys watched as she unlocked her phone and scrolled through her contacts. she brought her phone up to her ear.

"is this jason blossom?" she said into the phone and joaquin and fangs both raised their eyebrows.

"hi, this is veronica, cheryl's best friend."

-

"hey where are you going?" veronica asked 2 days later as cheryl emerged from her bedroom.

"i'm actually going out up with jason."

"oh your brother?" veronica said pretending to be shocked.

"yeah we've stayed in contact since that horrible dinner and he's actually really cool so we're gonna grab some dinner. would you like to join us?"

"i would but josie is on her way over. thanks for the offer though and have fun."

"thanks. see ya."

and veronica smiled devilishly as cheryl left the apartment.

...

"yeah i just pulled up." jason said into his phone as he sat in his car in front of cheryl's apartment building.

"are you sure about this?... okay... okay she's coming out now, talk to you later." jason hung up his phone as cheryl opened the front door and sat down in the seat.

"hey sis- i- i mean… is it too soon for sis." jason said nervously as cheryl settled in the seat and closed the door.

"maybe a little too soon." said responded but with a smile to ease the twenty year old.

"so where are we going?"

"well a buddy of mine said there's an amazing taco truck parked near bryant park and they're showing a movie there. some old school black and white film. thought it would be cool."

"yeah, that sounds great."

jason nodded with a smile and put his already running car in drive and pulled onto the street. it was awkwardly silent for a couple minutes before jason turned to look over at cheryl for a second and let out a quick breath.

"so uh how's everything? last time we talked in person you were really upset."

"yeah, i’ve been... good..." cheryl said unenthusiastically.

"how's moving on going?"

"it's been..." cheryl sighed. "honestly jason, it sucks. it sucks. i mean it's better than sitting around crying and i'm finally starting to feel better but to be honest, that life isn't fun anymore. i mean i still got game but i'm just not feeling it anymore."

"i get it. h-have you... spoken to toni?" jason asked nervously.

"nope but this weird thing happened the other day at work."

"oh? what happened?"

"i walked into the office, dressed to impress, cause it's honestly helped me feel better, and she was looking at me like how she used to when we first started dating."

"how did that make you feel?"

"i'm not gonna lie to you jason, it gave me butterflies. but then i remembered all that has happened and i just looked away at sat down at my desk."

"you know cheryl, i've only known you for a short period of time and i've never met toni. but from the story you told me about her last time we were together, it sounds like you two really loved each other."

"we did. i mean- i still do. but..." she trailed off.

"but what?"

"but... she's moved on."

"has she?"

"what do you mean?" cheryl looked at him with furrowed brows and he just shrugged as he kept his eyes locked on the road.

"i don't know. but if you still love her maybe you should be with her. or at least tell her."

"says the guy that encouraged me to move on."

"and you just said it isn't fun anymore. the player life isn't for you anymore. maybe now you're the kind of person that just needs to be with one woman. maybe that woman is toni."

"since when are you so team toni? you don't even know her." cheryl crossed her arms.

"i mean, you did tell me about her. but hey, what do i know? i'm just talking." jason shrugged.

"well things aren't always that simple."

"aren't they?" jason responded and that was the last word that was said before jason pulled into a parking space on the street near bryant park. he got out and grabbed two lawn chairs for them to sit on.

cheryl wore a look a confusion as she followed jason towards down the sidewalk towards the taco truck. she has no clue where this is suddenly coming from. yes cheryl has told jason a lot about she and toni's relationship but it's still weird for him to be saying all of this as if he knows toni. as if he even knows cheryl herself.

but then it made her think even more. veronica has been saying basically the same thing to cheryl for a few weeks and she knows her and toni. but now hearing it from a complete outside perspective who barely knows either party, it's making her think.

could things really be that simple? and was she just making everything harder by being stubborn? cheryl knows for a fact that she is still in love with toni. that's the main reason why she hasn't been able to fully move on. it's the main reason why deep down she doesn't even know if she wants to.

she was taken out of her thoughts when they approached the food truck. she and jason both ordered their food and waited for a few minutes in awkward silence for it to be prepared. jason's food came out first, followed shortly after by cheryl. she grabbed the styrofoam to go box through the truck window and turned to face jason.

"so where should we sit?" cheryl asked but was ignored as jason was staring down at his phone, reading a text.

"jason?" she said a bit louder, his eyes snapping up to hers.

"hmm- oh, uh, yeah let's... uhh try and get near the middle towards the left." jason said trying not to be obvious about his specific request for seats.

cheryl arched an eyebrow at him but didn't question it and just followed him into the park towards the large crowd sitting on the ground facing the screen.

they find an empty spot to the left of the crowd and towards the middle and set up their lawn chairs. they sat down and started digging into their food. cheryl noticed that jason was hardly eating and kept looking around the crowd like he was trying to find someone.

"looking for someone?" cheryl asked.

"huh? oh uh no i'm just... looking around."

"are you sure? you seem nervous." cheryl asked with concern on her face as jason continued to look around, but just less fidgety.

"yeah it's uh... a friend of mine said he'd be here and i-" and then he spotted him. the main reason why jason asked cheryl to come out with him today.

_be cool, jason._

"holy shit." he suddenly gasped.

"what?"

"it's forsythe jones. that author of  _break away_."

" _what?"_ cheryl snapped her head in the direction of where jason was pointing, two rows in front of them and to the right.

"that's one of my favorite books. have you read it?" jason said trying not to be obvious that he has in fact never read any of forsythe's books.

but cheryl didn't even hear a word he said after hearing 'forsythe'. she spotted him but what she wasn't expecting to see was a head laying on his shoulder. a head of blonde hair but it wasn't toni. and she definitely wasn't expecting to see them kiss. she stared daggers into the side of his head without even realizing what she was doing she stood up from her seat.

jason called after her but she didn't hear it. all of her focus was on one thing. she marched her way to his row and before she knew it she was standing in front on him.

"forsythe." she deadpanned. the second forsythe made eye contact with her all the blood drained from his face and he looked like he was staring at a ghost."

"ch-cheryl?" he stuttered and swallowed dryly, his eyes filled with fear. "wh-what are you doing here?"

"i'm here with my brother, what are you doing here? and who is this?" cheryl shot right back, not even realizing she just called jason  _her brother_ for the first time.

"i'm the woman he's dating, and who are you?" the woman shot, wrapping her arms tighter around forsythe's arms and trying to scoot closer to him as if to prove a point. cheryl literally laughed.

"oh trust me princess he is definitely  _not_  my type." she scoffed before moving her eyes back to forsythe.

"forsythe can i talk to you for a second?"

"uh sure." forsythe agreed nervously and tried to free himself from the tight grip that got tighter.

"forsythe." the woman whined when he broke free of her grip.

"this will only take a second." he said and the woman nodded and leaned in for a kiss but forsythe backed away and stood from his seat, following cheryl off to the side away from the crowd.

"cheryl, i know what you're thinking but it's not what it looks like."

"oh, so you aren't on a date right now?"

"okay technically yes but it's not what you think-"

"does toni know about this?" cheryl cut him off, uninterested in his poor excuses. and he dropped his head and shoved his hands in his pocket

"no she doesn't... and why should you care? you two aren't together anymore?" forsythe raised his head and furrowed his brows, going into defense mode.

"that has nothing to do with this. and just because we aren't together doesn't mean i don't still care and i'll be damned if i let you hurt her."

"this is none of your business." forsythe snapped.

"it will be when i tell toni."

"no. you're not going to do that."

"and why not."

"because she won't believe you. she'll just think you're the jealous ex that will say anything to win her back. besides it'll just be your word against mine. and who do you think she's gonna believe. her trashy ex or the guy that's saved her from heartbreak.”

cheryl balled her fist. she wanted to punch him. she wanted to punch him square in his face. but she held herself back, figuring it would just make her look like the bad guy if he ran to toni. she rolled her eyes and scoffed as she brushed past him, bumping his shoulder.

"enjoy your movie." forsythe called after her but she just ignored him and walked back to her seat.

"can we leave?" cheryl said when she reached jason.

"everything okay?" jason asked as cheryl started to fold her chair and put it back in the bag.

"i'll explain in the car, i'm just not in a movie mood anymore."

"okay." and jason stood from his seat and folded his chair to put back into the bag.

- 

as he drove cheryl back home it was silent for half the trip until jason finally spoke up.

"what happen?" he asked cautiously and cheryl sighed.

"that guy you saw was forsythe."

"yeah..."

"forsythe. the same guy i saw at dinner with my ex girlfriend." cheryl's face scrunched up. she hated to have to say ex girlfriend.

"ohh that was him?" jason said pretending to be shocked.

"yeah. he's dating my ex and had the nerve to be out in public with another bitch."

jason was just silent. not really knowing what to say.

" _ugh_  i fucking hate him. he doesn't deserve her." cheryl punched the dashboard.

jason pulled over to the curb in front of cheryl's apartment.

"sorry i had to cut our night short. maybe we can try again next week or something." cheryl said with apologetic eyes.

"it's okay. i understand."

"see you jason."

"see you cheryl."

cheryl smiled at him before exiting the car. after jason watched her walk inside he pulled out his phone to send a text.

 **jason**  
_it worked._

 **fangs**  
_*thumbs up emoji*_

_-_

"ronnie!" cheryl shouted as soon as she opened the front door, unaware that veronica and josie were sitting right in the living room.

"oh good you're already out here." cheryl said as she marched into living room and sat on the couch next to them.

"you're back way earlier than i thought."

"yeah i saw something that made me sick to my stomach."

"what happened?" veronica's voice was thick with worry, a way better actor than jason.

"so we went to the park right, to watch a movie, and we had basically just sat down and guess who i see?"

"who?"

"fucking forsythe. and he was there with some woman, who wasn't toni by the way, and were all cuddled up and kissing."

"so you just left?" josie asked.

"yeah after i walked up on his ass."

"what did you say?" veronica asked.

"i asked him if he was on a date and he admitted it and then i asked him if toni knew and he said she didn't. but then he had to nerve to ask me  _why should i care."_

"but you do." veronica said, more as a statement rather than a question.

"i shouldn't care. but... i don't know, just seeing him kiss someone else. toni deserves better than him. she deserves someone that's gonna put her first. she deserves..." cheryl trailed off and stared down at the floor as she whispered her next words. "she deserves me."

veronica and josie shared a look and smirked at each other.

"you're damn right she deserves you and you deserve her. and it's about fucking time you realize it." veronica stated boldly.

"ronnie, toni fucked up. i fucked up. the situation is too fucked up. it might be too late."

"it's never too late to fight for the one you love."

"it doesn't matter if i love her ronnie. even if forsythe is a jerk, she moved on. she doesn't want me anymore. it's too late." cheryl stood up abruptly from the couch and walked towards her bedroom.

"toni still loves you." josie blurted out making cheryl freeze in her tracks. the redhead turned slowly to face the couple.

"what?"

"toni still loves you cheryl. she's told me numerous times. she doesn't even have feelings for forsythe. she's just using him as a rebound." josie rushed out.

"she-" was all cheryl could get out before veronica jumped in.

"you both love each other, you're both just too stubborn to do something to fix it. but- but we have a plan cheryl."

"what do you mean you have a plan?" cheryl said as she walked closer to the couch. veronica and josie looked at each other and josie gave her a nod and veronica took a deep breath before explaining.

"cheryl we- we know about forsythe and that woman. we had fangs and joaquin follow him around because josie had a feeling he was hiding something. which he was. and... please don't be mad at me... but we got jason in on it too. you two going to that movie in the park thing and seeing forsythe there wasn't a coincidence."

"please tell me you're joking. please tell me the only reason my... b-brother, who i just met, asked me to hang out was not all part of some plan."

"i'm sorry cheryl, but yes. he was part of our plan to help you and toni get back together. but it's amazing how he was willing to help and he just met you right?"

"oh don't try and turn this into some heroic caring thing. you used him just like forsythe is using toni. how's that better?"

"it's not and i'm not saying it is. you're right. but look at the bigger picture. it's working. seeing him made you realize that toni deserves better and that better is you."

"ronnie just stop. toni and i aren't just some scheme that you two can just cook up." cheryl scoffed and turned on her heels and marched straight into her room, slamming the door behind her.

it was silent in the living room for a few moments. josie and veronica shared a somber look before josie wrapped her arm around her shoulder and leaned back against the couch.

"are we still going on with the plan?" josie asked as she rubbed her hand up and down veronica's arm.

"oh absolutely. i'm not giving up on them."

-

josie walked to her front door after hearing the knocks from the other side. she opened it to reveal a smiling toni. she stepped to the side to let her in.

"hey you're in a good mood." josie said as toni greeted her with a hug.

"forsythe just treated me to breakfast."

josie's smile faltered. toni being in a good mood because of forsythe was only going to make her news delivery harder.

josie ushered toni into her living room where she found veronica, fangs and joaquin sitting and they all shared the same nervous expression.

"what's going on?" toni said as she slowed her walking to a stop, arching her eyebrow at the four of them.

"toni..." fangs said softly.

"i swear if this is a cheryl intervention-"

"it's not, but we have something to tell you. something really important, so please just sit down."

toni heard the seriousness in fangs voice and noticed the sorrow look in his eyes. whatever it is it can't be good because she knows her brother and she knows that's the look he gives her when he's about to give bad news.

toni nodded and sat down in the chair opposite from the couch as the four of them stared at her.

"before we tell you this, you have to know that we all love you and care about you."

"okay for real, what's going on? you guys are worrying me."

fangs cleared his through and scooted forward to the edge of the couch.

"toni... forsythe is seeing someone else."

"what?" toni breathed out. and fangs and joaquin both nodded.

"no, he can't be. not after everything he said to me."

"toni, he is." fangs repeated.

"how- how would you even know that?"

"joaquin and i followed him-"

"you  _what?"_ toni snapped, her volume exponentially louder than before.

"i had a feeling he was hiding something-"

"so we had fangs and joaquin follow him." veronica finished for josie.

"what the fuck! so you were stalking him?" toni exclaims in disbelief.

"yeah. but that's not the point toni. we saw him with some woman and we saw them kiss." fangs explained as calmly as he could.

"you're lying."

"why the fuck would we lie toni?"

"it's true. cheryl saw him yesterday with the same woman and she told me and josie that she saw them kiss too."

"and she confronted him and told him off." josie added.

"she did?"

"i'm sorry toni. i know you wanted to believe he changed but he hasn't."

suddenly realization struck toni and her facial expression turned from one of shock to anger. she couldn't believe it. everything that forsythe said to her. how he changed. how he would wait forever for her. it was all a lie. and she fell for it. again.

she stood up with a huff and made her way to the front door.

"where are you going?" josie called after her.

"i have to go." toni responded angrily before opening the front door and slamming it shut behind her.

-

toni banged on the door with her fist. she tapped her foot impatiently, her arms crossed over her chest, as she waited for the door to be opened.

a few seconds later the door was opened and forsythe smiled as he rested his hand against the door frame.

"hey t, missed me already?" he said with a charming smile. toni scoffed and rolled her eyes and pushed past him to enter the apartment.

"please come in." forsythe said jokingly but his smile fell when he turned around and saw the look of anger on toni's face.

"everything okay?"

"tell me it isn't true!" she snapped before he could even finish his sentence.

"tell you what isn't true?"

"that you aren't seeing someone else!"

forsythe froze and his eyes went wide as the blood drained from his face, making him pale with shock.

"how- h-how did you know-"

"so it's true." toni scoffed.

"toni i- i can explain."

toni laughed.

"explain then. explain all the bullshit you've been feeding me for weeks."

"it wasn't bullshit. i-" forsythe cut himself off and dropped his head with a sigh. he rubbed the back of his neck.

"you  _what?"_ toni bit, crossing her arms again.

"i meant what i said toni and i- i never wanted to hurt you. but-"

"but. what." toni said slowly between clenched teeth.

forsythe was silent for a while just staring at toni with an apologetic look, mixed with nervousness. he was biting the corner of his bottom lip. something toni knew he did when he was extremely nervous. but she couldn't care less. she wasn't gonna go easy on him. she wanted an explanation and she wanted it now.

"it was for pr. i write drama. and my team thought a big drama story would help me get on the map, would make more people want to read my books and see my movie. so a story was going to come out about how i'm dating two women who work for separate magazine companies."

"are- are you fucking kidding me?" toni chuckled hysterically.

"i was going to tell you toni, i really was."

"oh yeah, when?"

"last week when we got lunch and you told me the truth about how you don't have feeling for me and were completely honest about me just being a rebound. i was going to tell you but then you got a call from your office and had to leave."

"i can't believe this. once again you were just using me."

"well, you were using me too." forsythe tried to defend himself.

"oh don't turn this around on me. i was completely honest with you from the beginning when i told you i was still in love with cheryl. you're just using me to make yourself famous."

"i didn't want to do it toni."

"i didn't have to! you're a fucking adult who can make his own decisions. and you decided to not only use  _me_  but that other woman too. and if you have to use a scandal just to make your books more popular than you're just as pathetic as you were in college."

"you're right toni. i am-"

"don't even try to agree with me to get on my good side. all that stuff you said to me in my office back in august. about how you've changed and how you wanted to show me how much you changed. it was all bullshit because you haven't changed at all."

"i meant everything i said toni-"

"but that's the thing forsythe. you haven't changed. you used me for your own benefit, just like the last time. i was vulnerable and huting and you were saying all the right things to get in with me but it was all a lie."

"toni please. you have to believe me. yes i used you but i swear i meant every word i said. and i was so respectful of you, i never crossed a line, never forced you to do anything."

"why should i believe you?"

"please toni. i made a mistake, please just give me one more chance. i- i love you."

toni laughed and shook her head.

"you love me? ha! if you did you wouldn't have used me to push your career. but you did. whether you meant what you said or not you still did it."

"i'm sorry, please."

"i really thought you changed. i should've never trusted you again. fool me once, shame on you. fool me twice, shame on me." toni shook her head and  walked past forsythe to the door but was stopped by the sound of her name. she turned around to face him and scoffed when he saw the tears threatening to spill over.

"tears forsythe? really? you expect me to feel sorry for you?"

"i meant what i said." he rasped out one last time.

"don't call me. don't text me. as a matter of fact delete my number because this." she pointed between the two of them. "is finished."

and that was the last word spoken before she escorted herself out of his apartment. as she rode the elevator back down, she wiped her cheeks over and over as silent tears fell down her face. she's not upset about whatever she and forsythe had ending because she didn't even have feelings for him. she's upset at herself for falling for his words. for being stupid enough to trust him again. for wasting her time with someone only cared about himself.

when she sat in her car the first person the thought about was cheryl. josie said cheryl told him off, and they aren't even a couple anymore. it couldn't help but make toni think she still cared. she had to still care to go off on him on her behalf. now toni was crying for a different reason.

-

veronica released a long sigh as she laid her head on josie's chest. she smiled in content as she felt her arms wrap tighter around her and felt soft lips on her hairline.

"you okay babe?" josie asked softly as she trailed her fingers up and down veronica's back.

"do you think it's gonna work? all of this shit we've done? both of our best friends being mad at us. do you think it will all be worth it in the end?" veronica sat up on her elbow to look josie straight in the eyes.

"i don't know babe. we can only do so much but we can't force them to work it out. we're gonna try our hardest to get them there but it's up to them to do the rest."

"and that's what i'm worried about. they're both equally stubborn. what if it doesn't work? what if it's all a waste of time?"

"hope for the best but if it doesn't work, we tried our best. we didn't give up on them and that's all that matters."

veronica gave her a small smile before leaning down to close the distance, capturing her lips in a soft lingering kiss. they were broken apart by the sound of soft knocking on the other side of her bedroom door.

"are you decent?" they heard cheryl ask.

"yeah." veronica chuckled out as she climbed off josie and they both sat up to a sitting position just as the door was opened.

cheryl took a few steps into the room and just stood there for a few seconds as she sighed and scratched her eyebrow with her thumb.

"cher? what's up?" veronica asked with furrowed brows.

"i'm still mad at you for using jason the way you did but..." she sighed again, "whatever crazy thing you two are planning, count me in."

"wait really?" veronica asked, eyes wide with shock.

"i've done _a lot_  of thinking since our fight yesterday and... toni is the love of my life. and you're right. it's about time i stop being so stubborn and fight for her."

veronica and josie shared a look before smiling proudly up at cheryl.

this was gonna work.

it has to.

-

"so what is the reason for this party? other than trying to get toni and i back together?" cheryl asked as she set cups and plates out on the island in josie's kitchen.

"it's a uhh..."

"end of summer party." veronica finished for josie.

"yes exactly."

"do you think it's gonna work?" cheryl asked softly as she lifted a red solo cup off the stack and dropped it back down.

"of course it's gonna work. you two are meant for each other." josie said as she placed a reassuring hand on cheryl's shoulder.

"besides. she still loves you. she's said it herself."

"yeah but it's been over a month. what if it's not enough."

"baby, love is everything." josie squeezed cheryl's shoulder.

"okay joaquin is on his way to start the food. i'm about to head to toni's." fangs said as he walked into the kitchen.

"the party isnt for another hour and a half, you're going there now?"

"well its gonna take about 20 to get there and back and probably an hour to convince her to even come."

cheryl's eyes snapped to fangs, her eyebrows raised with worry, and fangs inwardly cursed at himself.

"don't worry cheryl. she's going to be here tonight. don't forget i'm the one that convinced her to come to your bar for the first time."

cheryl nodded and took a deep breath before smiling. she had no doubt that fangs would be able to convince toni to come tonight. but she was still nervous as hell for when she actually gets here.

"you know fangs is gonna get her here right?" josie said after hearing the front door close.

"yeah, i have no doubt he'll be able to get her here. it's just her being here is what's making me nervous. we haven't spoken in weeks."

"you know what you're going to say?" veronica asked.

"no fucking idea."

-

fangs pulled his car up toni's driveway and hopped out and walked towards the already opened door, having already been buzzed through the gate, and martin was waiting for him.

"hey martin. where is she?"

"i think she's in the gym."

"thanks." fangs said and he patted martins back as he walked past him. he made his way through through toni's home until he reached the home gym. he walked in to toni sprinting on her treadmill, loud music playing over the speakers.

"got some aggressions you need to work out?" fangs shouted so to be heard over the music. toni turned around to spot fangs and huffed as she slowed the treadmill down to a stop. she grabbed the tiny remote out of the treadmills cup holder and paused the music.

"fangs what the hell are you doing here?" toni said breathlessly as she stepped off the treadmill, her hands on her hips. fangs handed her a towel from the rack and she wiped her sweat dripping forehead.

"i'm here to pick you up for josie and ronnie's end of summer party." fangs said with a smile.

"i'm not going." toni said as she walked past him and out of the home gym, and fangs followed her.

"why?"

"cause after everything that happened with forsythe i just wanna be alone right now."

"you don't need to be alone right now toni. you need to get out and have some fun."

"i've been having fun and look where it got me." toni said as she reached her kitchen and grabbed the pre-made smoothie out of the refrigerator.

fangs put his hands on his hips and tilted his head as he looked at his sister through squinted eyes.

"is there another reason why you don't wanna go to this party tonight? hmm?" fangs hummed with a smirk.

"no..." toni slightly dragged out, hoping fangs didn't catch it, but of course he did.

"afraid that a certain redhead will be there."

"what are you trying to say fangs? just say it?"

"oh i don't know, maybe you're not going because you don't want to possibly run into cheryl especially after dating your jerk ex boyfriend."

"maybe." toni whispered, lowering her eyes to the ground.

"toni, look at me." fangs said and toni huffed before she looked back up at him. "would seeing her be so bad."

"i ruined something really amazing, then started seeing my ex boyfriend in front of her face. and he was just using me. again. so yeah seeing her would remind me of everything i lost."

"or it could remind you of everything you could have again."

"too much has happened fangs. and so much time has passed. it might be to late."

"it's never too late toni, you dumbass. after everything that has happened with forsythe you need someone who actually cares about you."

"what makes you so sure she still does?"

"what makes you so sure she doesn't?"

"she didn't fight for us fangs."

fangs took a deep breath and walked closer to his sister. he placed both of his hands on her shoulders.

"toni. please. i'm begging you. come to the party tonight. i promise you won't regret it." he said as he lightly shook her, looking down at her and speaking intently, trying to get her to understand without flat out saying cheryl wants her back. that's something she needs to realize on her own.

"okay. okay fine."

"good, now hurry up and shower. you stink." fangs yelped when toni punched him in the arm but chuckled as she walked out of the kitchen.

-

cheryl was standing in the kitchen nursing her first drink as she watched the guest mingle with each other. fangs' entire band was there, including valerie, who hadn't said anything to her except a polite hello. reggie and sweet pea were there. kevin and his boyfriend moose were there. jason was there. a few employees from topaz were there as well as a couple regulars from the bar that cheryl, veronica, reggie and sweet pea had known for years. the party had been going on for about 35 minutes but fangs had not arrived with toni yet.

cheryl started to think the worst. what if fangs was still trying to convince her to come. what if toni said no. what if toni was avoiding cheryl. what if all of this was a waste of-

she was pulled out of her thoughts when she heard the front door open and close and a second later veronica walked into the kitchen.

"she's here."

cheryl's heart rate picked up and she took two large gulps of her drink.

"you got this bombshell." veronica patted her best friends back just as fangs and toni walked into the kitchen.

the second toni and cheryl made eye contact it was as if time froze and everyone disappeared and it was just those two in the room. but not in a lovely romantic way. more like a, this is awkward as fuck, i have no idea what to even say way.

"h-hi." cheryl stuttered out.

"hi." toni responded after clearing her throat.

then it was silent again. cheryl was staring at toni like she wants nothing more than to wrap her in her arms and toni is trying to look everywhere but cheryl's eyes like she'd rather be anywhere other than this kitchen right now.

"can i make you guys a drink?" cheryl asked, breaking the awkward silence.

"uh, i'll just have a beer." fangs said with a lopsided smile. he could feel the awkward tension in the room.

"toni?" toni snapped her eyes up at the sound of her name coming from cheryl's lips. it's literally just her name, but for some reason, hearing it from cheryl made her feel... something she hasn't  _genuinely_  felt in weeks. it made her feel... feelings.

"uh. i- i'm good. i'm gonna... use the restroom. excuse me." and cheryl watched longingly as she walked away.

"that could not have gone worse." cheryl said, her shoulders slumping.

"considering it's the first words you two have shared in weeks i think it went pretty well." veronica said.

"she didn't even want to look at me. this isn't going to work." cheryl mumbled.

"hey, the night is still young. don't give up hope yet."

-

an hour went by and toni and cheryl haven't said another word to each other. haven't even made eye contact again. cheryl was honestly afraid too. especially after toni seemed like she didn't want to even look at her in the kitchen when she first arrived. that childhood fear of rejection was coming back tonight.

she was sitting on the couch, barely listening to the story jason was telling her, her mind elsewhere. she felt bad, she invited him to the party to do a redo of their day out. but here she was unable to even hold a conversation.

"cheryl?" her name is what brought her back to reality.

"are you okay?" jason asked and cheryl sighed.

"you remember that plan my best friend roped you into?"

"yeah..."

"well my ex girlfriend is standing right over there." she said nodding in toni's direction who was standing across the room.

"that's her? wow. she's very beautiful."

"i know right. this party was supposed to be an excuse for us to talk but. i'm scared to talk to her."

"why?"

"because i have no idea what to even fucking say to her. we used to be able to talk for hours and hours and hours and now i could barely say hi without stuttering."

"maybe you just need to say fuck it and go talk to her. just say anything and maybe word vomit will just fly out."

"ha. easier said than done."

-

"what the hell. this isn't working." veronica grumbled into josie's ear as she stood against the wall in the living room looking back and fourth between toni and cheryl who were on opposite sides of the living room.

"i know. toni and cheryl have been avoiding each other all night."

"i think we need to move on to plan b." josie nodded in agreement and veronica walked over to where sweet pea and reggie were standing.

"hey guys, i need your help with something."

-

josie walked up to toni who was mid conversation with the drummer of fangs' band.

"excuse me chic, toni i need small a favor."

"sure, what's up?"

"some people were talking about starting a game of uno. could you go into my guest room and get it. i think it's in the closet."

"sure, no problem."

"thanks boo."

toni set her half empty cup down on a table and made her way down the hallway to josie's guest room. when she walked into the room she froze in her tracks as she saw cheryl sitting in a chair in the far corner of her room as if she was awaiting toni's arrival.

she turned around when she heard the bedroom door close. she walked up to it and turned the knob and tried to pull on the door but a strong force pulled it closed from the other side.

"sorry can't let you out."

"sweet pea?" toni said but there was no response.

she turned back around to see cheryl smiling awkwardly.

"let me guess. this was veronica and josie's doing."

"and a little my doing." cheryl smiled but toni just looked at the ground. she crossed her arms and just stood in the middle of the room, not really sure what to do. it was awkwardly silent for almost five minutes before cheryl finally spoke up.

"h-how- how have you been?" cheryl stuttered as she scratched the back of her neck.

"i've been better." toni said, still looking down at the floor, afraid that if she looks up at cheryl she'll cry.

"i... i know about forsythe."

"yeah... josie told me you told him off so... thanks." toni said finally looking up at cheryl.

"i'm sorry."

"it's not your fault. he's the jerk."

"i'm still sorry that happened to you. you didn't deserve that."

"you know what's funny? i don't even like him. i didn't even want him. but once again he was just using me and i was the idiot that fell for it."

"you're not an idiot."

"ha! yeah you're just saying that to make me feel better."

"is it working?" cheryl smiled again, and toni just stared at her with a look that cheryl couldn't explain. it almost looked like longing.

"i hate that what he did hurt me. i had no feelings for him but it still hurt. and i hate that it hurts because he was just a rebound. how pathetic is that?"

"you're not pathetic. you're... you're amazing and you deserve someone who's gonna put you first, not themselves."

toni scoffed out a laugh and shook her head but was still looking at cheryl with that hint of longing. cheryl could see it deep in her eyes.

_now cheryl. now is your chance._

"i know this may not be the right time but..." cheryl inhaled and exhaled slowly and shakily as she stood up from the chair.

"i never stopped loving you toni."

toni's eyes widened at the words she longed to hear. she should be happy but for some reason hearing her say that now made her angry.

"no." toni scoffed and cheryl's heart skipped a beat. 

"no?" cheryl furrowed her brows.

"no. you don't get to say that now! i've wanted you to say those words for a month! but what? now cause i'm hurting you think you can just swoop in and save me!" toni suddenly snapped and was yelling. she took a bold step towards cheryl.

"well, you can't tell me what i can and can't feel toni!" cheryl took a step toward toni.

"i love you and there's nothing you can do about it!"

"oh yeah?" toni took another step forward.

"yeah." cheryl took one last step and the two women were now sizing each other up."

"well what  _are_   _you_  gonna do about it?"

**(A/N *SMUT WARNING*)**

the two stared at each other, the tension between them growing thicker and thicker. their breathing picked up as they realized they haven't stood this close to each other in over a month. the second toni looked down at her lips cheryl knew exactly what she wanted and how she wanted it.

cheryl wrapped her hands around her neck and pulled her in quickly for a harsh kiss. the kiss lingered and they breathed each other in as toni put her hands on cheryl's waist and squeezed her shirt material.

cheryl pulled away with a loud smack of their lips and looked into toni's eyes, asking silently for consent. toni's eyes fell back down to her lips and up to her eyes. this time toni wrapped her hands around cheryl's neck and growled before pulling her back down to her lips.

the kiss was the complete opposite of gentle. they bit and sucked on each other's lips harshly. cheryl slid her hands down toni's back. she gripped that backside that she didn't even realize how much she missed until now.

cheryl dug her teeth into toni's bottom lip and pulled it back, causing toni to grunt. cheryl released her lip and immediately attached her lips to toni's neck. she sucked forcefully on her skin, growling at the feeling. she was only thinking one thing.

_it's been so long._

she sucked hard on her neck, ravaging it as if it was the last thing she'd ever do.

toni was gripping at cheryl's shirt, trying to pull it up. cheryl removed her lips from toni's neck with a suction sound and crossed her arms and grabbed her shirt from the hem and lifted it over her head. she dropped her shirt and immediately reached for toni's. with the help of the shorter girl she lifted it off and threw it to the side. she reattached her lips to toni's neck and sucked on her skin until there was dark mark on her pulse point.

toni grunted and tangled her fingers into cheryl's hair. she yanked on her roots to pull her away from her lips to stare into her eyes. they were almost black with lust.

"on your knees."

cheryl blinked in shock, but the look on toni's face meant she wasn't playing any games. cheryl looped her fingers into toni's belt loops and pushed her forward until she collided with the closet door. her back slamming into the door harder than she expected but the groan that came from toni's lips sent a shiver down her spine.

cheryl dropped to her knees, unbuttoned her jeans and yanked them down her legs. when they dropped to the floor toni stepped out of them and kicked them to the side before cheryl yanked her underwear down.

cheryl was face to face with toni's core. she thought she'd never be in this position ever again. but here she is. and even if this is angry sex, and even if she has no idea what's gonna happen after, she is going to take full advantage of this moment. 

she pressed tender kisses up toni's right thigh before doing the same to her left. she put her hands on her thighs and spread her legs apart. she looked up at toni her bottom lip sucked between her teeth.

the way she was looking at her sent a shiver down toni's spine. toni never though she would ever see cheryl look at her like that ever again. like she was the only person in the world.

toni's eyes fluttered closed and her head fell back against the closet door as she felt cheryl lick a firm tongue through her folds.

"shit." toni breath out as cheryl's tongue moved up and down, over and over each time pressing deeper and deeper. she teased her entrance, circling it before moving her tongue up and down her folds again. she wrapped her lips around her clit and sucked harshly on the sensitive nerve, much like she did her neck moments ago.

toni's hips bucked off the door into her face with a loud moan. cheryl gripped her hips and slammed her back into the door.

if she didn't know any better cheryl could have swore she heard the music get louder, almost as if josie and veronica knew what was happening. if anything, that spurred her on more, wanting to pull every sound out of toni she possibly could. sounds that she hasn't heard in over a month.

and toni sounded beautiful. she was moaning and groaned and whimpering and cursing. it was music to her ears. cheryl, the multitasker she is, tried to memorize every sound she heard as if it were a song, just in case she never got to hear them again.

cheryl brought a finger up to circle her entrance before sliding her finger in to the knuckle. she pulled it out and slid back in with two fingers and already felt toni's walls squeezing her fingers.

"cum for me baby." cheryl growled looking up at toni and toni bucked her hips forward with a broken cry only to be slammed back into the door.

cheryl worked toni through her orgasm, slowing her tongue and her fingers until she heard toni sigh and felt her muscles relax. she placed one last kiss over her clit and pulled her fingers out to clean them off with her mouth.

she rose back up to her feet and kissed toni hard, sliding her tongue deep into her mouth to share her taste. they both moaned into the kiss. toni grunted and kissed cheryl harder when she felt familiar hands palming her bare breasts. she didn't even know cheryl already took her bra off.

cheryl slid her hands down toni's stomach and around her lower back. she took a few moments to grope her ass before sliding her hands down to the backs of her thighs.

cheryl bent down a little, gripped toni's thighs harder and lifted toni in the air, the girl immediately wrapping her legs around cheryl's waist with a gasp.

cheryl walked across the room the the foot of the bed, kissing her neck as she traveled there, and literally threw her onto the bed. toni fell back with a gasp and wide eyes still dark with lust. she licked her lips, her breathing heavy, as she watched cheryl remove her bra, shorts, and panties, both of them now completely bare.

cheryl crawled onto the bed, over toni and leaned her full weight down on top of her. they both moaned at the feeling of their skin connecting this way for the first time since their breakup.

toni dug her nails into cheryl's backside as their lips connected again in a sloppy kiss, their tongues swirling around each other's as they breathed heavily into each other's mouths.

"i want you." toni groaned in between kisses.

"what do you want?" cheryl asked as she moved her lips down to her neck, sucking on the same mark she already left.

"i want you to ride my face."

cheryl was absolutely loving how forward toni was being right now. how she was calling the shots. cheryl would only ever follow the lead of one woman.

cheryl sat up, straddling toni waist and just stared down at her for a few seconds. she smirk as she scooted herself further up toni's body until she was hovering over her mouth.

toni gripped her hips and pulled her down onto her mouth. cheryl gasped and moaned in surprise and she placed her hands on the headboard in front of her.

toni didn't tease her, she didn't warm her up, she went at it full force, her tongue flicking rapidly through her folds, her tongue pressing hard on every flick. toni squeezed her eyes shut tighter and gripped her hips harder and groaned over and over into her center, sending constant vibrations through her.

cheryl moaned over and over as she rocked her hips down on toni's face. she gripped the headboard hard as she tried to focus on breathing. toni was eating her out like it's been a month since she has. which it has. but cheryl could definitely tell.

"toni-  _fuck!"_ cheryl shouted and threw her head back as toni's tongue slipped into her entrance. she rolled her tongue once, twice, three times before slipping back out and focusing all of her attention on her clit to get her to that release.

it doesn't take long. one minute and forty seven seconds, to be exact, of toni attacking her clit before cheryl's moans get stuck in her throat and she tenses up as toni swallows every bit of her. she came hard, and it was almost too much but cheryl started to roll her hips again.

"don't stop don't stop."

and toni doesn't. she sucks on her clit hard as she shoves two fingers inside of her. she thrusted her fingers fast, and it sounded at wet as it felt. and not even a minute later she felt cheryl's walls squeezing her fingers.

"cum for me again baby." toni demanded sweetly before attaching her lips back to her clit.

cheryl came again. even harder than the last time. her hips were twitching and she released a high pitch moan.

"shit." cheryl hissed and she quickly raised up on her knees, off of toni's mouth.

she took a few moments to catch her breath before she climbed back down toni's body until she was hovering over her at eye level. she leaned her full weight back on top of toni and attacked her lips, moving her lips down to toni's chin to clean her own arousal off before sliding her tongue into toni's mouth.

they just kissed for a couple minutes. lips pressing and pulling and tongues rolling around each other's. cheryl trailed her lips down to toni's neck, sucking on that same damn spot where a mark has already been made and it was driving toni crazy. she moaned out and bucked her hips up.

cheryl slid her right hand down toni's body until she reached the destination between her legs. she swiped her middle finger through her soaked folds before using two fingers to circle her clit.

"cheryl." toni moaned and cheryl growled into her neck before removing her fingers and sitting up on her knees. toni whined but the look on cheryl's face caused her to gasp. she looked like she wanted to completely devour her. the dominance that toni was showing completely disappeared as cheryl's dominance came back out to play.

"turn around." cheryl demanded and without hesitation toni flipped over onto her stomach.

cheryl gripped her hips and pulled her up until she was on her hands and knees. cheryl massaged her backside and placed a slap to her right cheek, causing toni to grunt. she placed another one before sliding her left hand up her back and gripping her shoulder.

she circled her entrance with her pointer finger before shoving two fingers inside of her, making toni whimper.

"you okay?" toni just nodded and cheryl kept her hands completely still.

"use your words baby"

"yes- shit!" toni yelled when cheryl started pumping her fingers in and out strongly. she gripped toni's shoulder to push her back into her fingers harder as she picked up speed.

toni's eyes rolled into the back of her head as she moaned uncontrollably, gripping the bedsheets below her tightly.

cheryl took her hand of her shoulder and wrapped it around the back of her neck. she pushed toni down until her face hit the mattress.

"fuck!" toni screamed, muffled by the bedsheets, at the new angle that caused cheryl's fingers to go even deeper.

she added a third finger and toni cursed at the stretch. cheryl gripped toni's hips and used her own hips to help drive her fingers into toni, pounding into her relentlessly. every now and then she would place a slap to toni's backside, the skin now red.

cheryl continued thrusting into toni until she knew she was right on the edge. she kept going, not yet giving her permission to cum, pushing toni to her absolute limit. it wasn't until she heard toni whine her name that she finally gave in.

"let it go for me."

and she did. she cursed and called cheryl's name like a mantra. cheryl slowed down as she came but toni screamed when she sped up again, and placed another slap to her rear.

"cheryl-"

"i want one more. give it to me."

and toni did. she gave her her all. she arched her back and pushed herself back onto cheryl's fingers the both of them working to get her to another inevitable climax.

"you're so hot." cheryl groaned and toni just moaned in response.

"cum for me baby, one more, i need it, give it to me."

and toni came harder than she ever has before, her eyes rolling far in the back of her head, her mouth open but no sound came out due to her inability to breath. cheryl slowed her fingers and rubbed her hand up and down her back to help her through it.

when toni came down she dropped her body onto the mattress when a tired huff. and cheryl fell down right beside her. they were breathing heavily, a light layer of sweat covering their bodies. after a few minutes when their breathing regulated toni flipped over onto her back. it was silent for a while as they just stared up at the ceiling, reminiscing over what just happened.

"cheryl?"

"not now. we can talk later. right now i just wanna hold you. can i hold you, please?" cheryl asked softly, turning her head to look at toni, who turned to look at her too. toni nodded and cheryl scooped her into her arms. toni laid her head on cheryl's chest, listening to her heartbeat. it was silent for another couple minutes until toni spoke.  

"for what it's worth, i love you too." toni rasped out and cheryl wrapped her arms around her tighter.

"i know... it's worth everything." cheryl pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

they had a lot to talk about.

_a lot._

but for now they just held each other and soon fell asleep in josie's guest room.

-

later that night, after all the party goers had left and thay had finished cleaning the kitchen, veronica and josie walked down the hall towards josie's bedroom, taking a pit stop by the guest room.

josie slowly and cautiously opened the door and they looked inside. they smile at their best friends, fast asleep wrapped up in each other's arms.

"i knew it would work." veronica whispered after josie closed the door.

"i had no doubt." josie smiled.

"do you think we can tell them now?"

"let's wait until we know they're good before telling them."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the random authors note in the middle of the chapter, i didn't wanna spoil it in the notes. also what do you think josie and veronica have to tell cheryl and toni?
> 
> until next time!


	25. now we heal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is fluffy and emotional and smutty. y'all know i love angst but oh how i have missed writing fluff!
> 
> enjoy and catch me on twitter @cheryltoepaz

cheryl wakes up first. it takes her eyes a couple minutes to adjust, and a few more seconds to realize she's staring at an unfamiliar ceiling. she feels the weight on top of her and she immediately smiles because the weight is definitely familiar.

she can't believe veronica and josie's plan worked. it actually worked. she has the love of her life back in her arms. sure, things have happened and things have changed. but one thing that remind constant was their love for each other.

and sure they have a  _long_ talk ahead of them, but right now, cheryl has the love of her life back in her arms. right now, in this very moment, she doesn't care about what has happened between them. because right now, she has her girl back.

she felt her shift and snuggle deeper into her neck and she placed a kiss to the top of her head before wrapping her arms tighter around her.

"mmm cheryl?" toni rasped out. oh how cheryl missed the raspy sound of her voice.

"yeah." cheryl whispered.

"so it wasn't a dream?"

"no. it wasn't a dream." cheryl chuckled and pressed another kiss to the top of her head. toni leaned her head back to look up at cheryl and cheryl leaned down to press the softest of kisses to toni's lips.

"do you regret it?" cheryl asked softly as she tucked a piece of toni's hair behind her ear.

"no, you?" toni said without any hesitation.

"definitely not."

toni smiled and cheryl pressed a tender kiss to her forehead, letting it linger for a few seconds.

"i can't believe we had sex in josie's guest room." toni whined causing cheryl to chuckle.

"yeah we're definitely gonna have to wash her sheets." and the both of them fell into a fit of laughter.

neither girl said it but they were both thinking the same thing. how they loved how easy it was for them to bounce back so easily. as if the past month hadn't happened. they knew they had to talk, about _everything,_  but right now they just enjoyed this genuinely happy moment that they haven't had in a month, stealing a few short kisses between their laughter until they were interrupted by a knock on the door. cheryl pulled the comforter tighter around their bodies as the door was opened.

"i was gonna come see if you were awake but i can hear you laughing. josie and i are about to start cooking breakfast, you guys hungry?" veronica asked as she poked her head through the door, not fully entering the room.

"starving." cheryl answered back, and veronica nodded and smirked as she backed out of the room.

"guess we better get up. help me strip the bed?" cheryl said as she unwrapped her body from toni's, both of them already missing the warmth. they found their scattered clothes around the room and got dressed before stripping the sheets off of the bed.

toni carried them into the laundry room before the both of them made their way down the hall and into the kitchen, where veronica and josie were maneuvering around each other expertly as they cooked.

"well well well. good morning. how'd you sleep?" josie smirked as toni and cheryl took a seat on the stools at the island.

"morning. and great." toni responded with an eye roll.

"ditto." cheryl added. the two shared a glance and their lips curled into a smile before chuckling quietly.

cheryl and toni sat there quietly as josie and veronica finished cooking, sharing an occasional glance and a soft smile. when the food was done the four of them made their plates and transitioned to the dining room table.

"hmm so how did this happen?" josie asked, pointing her fork at the two women sitting across from her and veronica.

"like you don't know, miss 'can you go find uno for me?'" toni said, doing her best josie impression, to which josie just shrugged.

"i don't know how and i don't need to know, i'm just glad it did." josie smiled.

"me too. now we can finally double date again."

toni smiled but her smile immediately faltered when she heard cheryl say-

"woah wait i-" she paused and coughed awkwardly as she looked at toni and then back to the couple in front of them.

"i- i mean yes, i am very glad it happened but we... still... have a lot to talk about." cheryl said, her voice getting lower, feeling bad for bringing the mood down.

"i agree." toni spoke up after a couple awkward seconds of silence and she and cheryl shared another look and smiled at each other again. they knew the talk was gonna be long and maybe even emotional, but they were gonna get through it. they had to. they were meant for each other.

-

after breakfast, cheryl helped josie and veronica wash the dishes while toni put the sheets in the washing machine.

"alright well i'm going to head on out." cheryl said as she handed the last cup to josie to put into the cabinet.

"i need to go home and freshen up, i'm having lunch with jason this afternoon, a promise after i ditched him last night. but uh..." cheryl trailed off as she walked to stand in front of toni. she looked over at veronica and and josie who were watching them but quickly turned around to give them some privacy.

"would you like to come over for dinner tonight? around 8? so we can talk?" cheryl asked quietly as she grabbed toni's left hand with her right.

"yes. i'll be there."

"great." cheryl lifted toni's hand up to her lips and pressed a kiss to the back of it, which gave toni a warm feeling inside.

"see you then." cheryl smiled and backed away letting go of toni's hand as she made her way towards to the door.

"josie, ronnie. thanks for a great party and thanks for letting us crash here."

"of course. my place is your place."

cheryl waved and gave one more smile to toni before leaving the apartment.

-

"so where'd you go last night after you so rudely ditched me?" jason asked sarcastically before taking a bite of his pizza.

"okay i said sorry and promised you lunch the next day, which we are having." cheryl chuckled, "but uhh... i was uh, reconciling with toni."

"ah, so the plan worked."

"i guess it did." cheryl said, unable to contain the smile that grew on her face.

"i'm glad i got to play a part. you already look ten times happier."

"yeah. even after all that's happened, i love that woman so much. she's coming over tonight so we can talk about everything that has happened but i have no doubt we'll be able to work it out. she's my soulmate."

"awww that's so sweet. after you work everything out i would love to officially meet her."

"oh of course. you will definitely meet her soon."

-

"God fangs, it was amazing." toni said as she dramatically fell back on fangs couch as she told him the events of last night.

"just being with her again, especially that way, it just... felt right."

"i'm glad you two finally worked it out."

"well, yes and no." toni said as she sat up and fangs tilted his head in question.

"we didn't talk about anything. we just kinda had angry sex then cuddled and fell asleep. i was about to start the conversation but cheryl said not now. which i'm glad she did cause it gave us a chance to just enjoy the moment. and the moment was so perfect."

"yeah you already look ten times happier, and this time it's genuine."

"yeah, i really am. but she invited me over for dinner tonight so we can talk."

"to talk or to  _talk?"_

"to just talk fangs. but hopefully if it goes well we'll be doing some  _talking_ too."

"it's gonna go well. you two were made for each other."

"i know. i'm a little nervous, especially for when tell her about forsythe and i kissing, but i have no doubt that we'll be able to work it out. she's the love of my life."

-

it was 7:56 pm. cheryl had kicked veronica out an hour ago. the food was ready and waiting in the oven. she sat at the table that they hardly ever ate at. a candle lit in the middle, two empty wine glasses sat on the table, a bottle of toni's favorite wine sitting in a bucked of ice at the edge of the table.

the closer the time got to 8, the more nervous she got. she didn't even know why she was nervous. last night, it was so easy to fall back into it with toni. but, being with her in such an intimate way made her forget everything that had happened, just for a little while. but it still happened and they still need to talk about it.

at 7:59 there were three soft knocks on her door. cheryl took a deep breath and stood from her chair, smoothing her hands down her jeans as she walked towards the door. she opened the door and smiled the second she saw toni standing there holding what she assumed was a pie, covered in foil.

"hi." cheryl said softly.

"hi." toni echoes and she walked into the apartment as cheryl stepped to the side to let her in.

"you look great."

"so do you."

cheryl placed her hand on toni's hip and leaned in to kiss her on the cheek.

"what's this?" she said motioning to the dessert in toni's hand.

"apple pie. i figured since you made dinner i could bring dessert."

"well thank you. you're so sweet." cheryl smiled as she took the pie out of toni's hand and walked to the kitchen. she set it down on the counter and walked back over to the table where toni was standing.

"would you like a drink while i get the food? i got your favorite."

toni smiled and nodded and cheryl opened the bottle of wine and lifted a glass off the table, pouring the white wine into the glass until it was half full and handed it to toni. their fingers brushed as she took the cup and they both felt the electricity, almost like it was their first date again.

toni thanked her before cheryl went into the kitten to take the food out of the oven. she made their plates in the kitchen before walking back to the table. she set one plate in front of toni before setting her plate down right across from her.

"wow this looks amazing cheryl."

"thank you. why don't we just enjoy our meal before we talk?"

toni nodded with an 'okay' and they both dug in. as they ate they made small talk, mostly about simple things that wouldn't spark up that conversation yet.

when they were finished eating, toni stood up and grabbed both of their plates.

"you don't have to do that."

"no worries, i got it." cheryl smiled and took one last sip of her wine before grabbing the glasses and following toni to the kitchen. as toni scrapped the last bit of food on the plates into the trash can, cheryl cut two pieces of the apple pie. toni set the plates in the sink to be washed later and followed cheryl to the couch. cheryl handed toni a piece of pie and a fork as they sat somewhat facing each other.

"so, how do we start this talk." toni asked as she cut into the dessert.

"well... let's start with how all of this started."

"the promotion." toni stated and cheryl nodded. toni sighed and leaned forward to place her barely eaten pie on the coffee table.

"cheryl. from the moment you started working for me, i always wanted better for you. i never wanted you to be my assistant forever. but i should've never promoted you that way. i know you, and i know you don't like things being handed to you. i just wanted to give you the world but i crossed a line and no amount of apologies will ever make up for it."

cheryl leaned forward to set her half eaten pie right next to toni's.

"to be honest toni, i'm not even mad about that anymore. but, i'm glad you realize that you were wrong. i want to be completely honest with you because i love you-"

"please. that's what this talk is for."

"when people were talking about me behind my back and mumbling to each other whenever i walked by, it made me feel like utter shit. and then when it turned out to be true, it made me feel this big." cheryl made and inch with her thumb and pointer finger.

"you know that was my biggest fear working in a big time office, and it just really hurt knowing the love of my life caused it, even if you didn't mean to, which i know you didn't, i'm not putting the blame on you anymore. but all the backfire fell on me."

toni was looking at her with complete understanding. she didn't trying to defend herself. she was being attentive and listening to understand.

"but, i am sorry for yelling at you after you called that meeting, and saying you were making everything worse. you actually made things better, and i never got to thank you for that, so, thank you."

"it was the least i could do after fucking up so bad." cheryl chuckled and toni joined for a few seconds. "but may i ask, why did you keep the job?"

"i thought about quitting. i really considered it. but, even though you gave me the job unfairly, deep down i knew i deserved it. or at least deserved to do more than just be your assistant. and even though i was pissed at you and people were being assholes, i still loved working at topaz. plus i didn't want to go back to working at the bar."

toni just nodded in understanding. it was silent for a few seconds before toni continued the talk.

"and you know, i may not have realized it then but us taking a break was necessary. and maybe if i had given you space like you asked, things wouldn't have gotten so fucked up."

"yeah," cheryl nodded in a agreement.

"it's just... it was hard, seeing you in the office. and i just wanted so badly to fix things between us but it made me feel like you didn't want to fight for us."

"you really felt that way? like i was just going to give up on us cause i asked for a break."

"honestly, yeah. i didn't know how long the break would last, and what if it never got better. what if you never forgave me. that's why i wanted so badly to fix it right then. i didn't want to lose you."

"but i needed time toni. we both did, but you just kept pushing when we really needed the space. that's what made things get worse."

"i know that now. and if i knew that back then i would've backed off. but back then i thought i was losing you.." toni's eyes started to tear up, and she had a feeling this wouldn't be the last time they did tonight.

"you don't think i thought the same thing toni. i asked for space so we could both think about us and what happened and next thing i know you were going to lunch with your ex boyfriend, who you supposedly hated."

toni's face was struck with guilt as she tried to look anywhere else but cheryl's eyes right now, but she was locked.

"and nothing pissed me off more than you saying i had no right to be jealous of him."

"i know."

"why did you say that?"

"because, i was... angry. i asked if were on a break or broken up and you said 'what's the difference?'"

now it was cheryl whose eyes started to water.

"so i was mad. i know i shouldn't have been but i was. when you said what's the difference it just- it broke my heart cheryl."

"i shouldn't have said that because i didn't mean it, so i'm sorry for that. but i was mad too, and that's why i said it. i just saw my girlfriend get lunch with her ex boyfriend. how would you feel if the roles were reversed and you saw me getting lunch with valerie with no explanation."

toni opened and closed her mouth, unable to find any words to say. but her eyes said it all.

"just because we were going through shit didn't mean i stopped caring, or stopped loving you. we were on a break to heal and seeing you get lunch with someone who you told me you hated, it was like a stab wound and then you telling me i didn't have a right to be jealous was like you twisted the knife. and maybe- maybe i didn't have a right to be  _jealous,_  i had no idea why you were getting lunch. but i  _did_  have a right to feel weird about it."

"i know. you did. but we were hardly speaking. and i told you how i was feeling at the time and he had just told me that day that all he wanted to do was apologize.  _we_  weren't getting any better so i just wanted to be able to repair  _something."_

"i get it."

it was silent for a few seconds, then both of them just taking a few moments to regroup their thoughts.

"breaking up with you was the  _hardest_ thing i've ever had to do. in my life." toni rasped out, her eyes glassed over but no tears falling yet.

"we  _were_ hurting each other, so it was necessary. but seeing you move on with forsythe.  _that_  was the hardest thing  _i've_  ever had to do."

"i didn't have feelings for him. he was just a-"

"a rebound. i know that  _now._  but i didn't know that until a few days ago. so seeing you with him this past month and thinking you had moved on... it killed me. seeing the woman i love be happy with someone else. i thought that was it for us. i thought you didn't want me anymore." cheryl's eyes looked like toni's but no tears fell yet.

toni was speechless. she honestly had no idea what to say. hearing cheryl say it killed her to see her move on, and she didn't even want the guy. all she felt was guilt and anger at herself for wasting her time with him.

"you know, i tried to move on too. i tried to go back to the old cheryl."

toni inwardly gasped and looked at cheryl with a worried expression.

"but i couldn't. i tried. i was partying almost every night. i flirted with so many women. but i just couldn't do it. and more than that, i didn't want to. i couldn't even kiss someone else who wasn't you.

toni released a breath and for the first time tonight a tear escaped her eye as she looked down at her lap.

"cheryl." toni whispered. she sniffled and cheryl reached out to grab her hand and rubbed her thumb across her knuckles. the action made toni feel even more guilty.

"what is it toni?" cheryl asked softly but toni just shook her head.

"you're gonna hate me when i tell you." her voice was so small.

cheryl's heart started thumping in her chest. she had a feeling she knew what toni was about to say and she knew she was going to hate hearing those words. but regardless, she lifted her free hand and placed her pointer finger under toni's chin to lift her head.

"you can tell me toni. it's okay." cheryl gripped toni's hand tighter to prepare herself for the words she knew was going to sting so bad.

"forsythe and i... we kissed."

cheryl released a breath she didn't even know she was holding. she almost wanted to laugh but she didn't.

"wait, that's it? i thought you were going to say you slept together."

"no. no. absolutely not. we just kissed, but i stopped it and told him that i'm not ready because i'm still in love with you."

"well that's a relief. at least you didn't have sex."

"but we still kissed cheryl. you said you couldn't kiss anyone who wasn't me but i kissed someone who wasn't you and i feel so guilty. i didn't even want to. i was just vulnerable and he was there and he was saying all the right things and i just got caught up in the moment. but that's no excuse. i'm so sorry cheryl, if i could take it back i would-"

"toni." cheryl said sharply, squeezing her hand to stop her rambling. she wiped the tears from her right cheek with her free hand and toni leaned into her touch.

"it's okay. sure, the image of you and forsythe kissing sucks, but it was just a kiss. a kiss that you stopped."

"it should've never happened."

"and i agree. but we were broken up toni. i can't be mad about that. and i'm not. it's like you said, you were vulnerable and he was sweet talking you. believe me, i know the routine."

"i don't deserve you."

"no.  _you_  didn't deserve what forsythe did to you. when i found out he was cheating on you, before i even knew you didn't even have feeling for him, it made me realize that you deserved so much better than him. you deserve someone who's always going to put you first. someone who loves you and treats you right."

"someone like you?"

cheryl nodded.

"cheryl. i've fucked up. i've done stupid things. but i love you. i love you so much. i don't want anyone else ever again. you're the love of my life and i know in my heart that we're meant to be together. i'm sorry for promoting you wrongly. and i'm sorry for not giving you space. and i'm so sorry for dating my stupid ex. and i'm so sorry for not being there for you when you went to see your mom again, and your birth family. and i'm so sorry for being so damn stubborn. but cheryl i want you. i want you. i love you so much. you are the best thing that has ever happened to me and i never want to lose you again. please forgive me."

"of course i forgive you toni. and i'm sorry too. i'm sorry for being stubborn too. and i'm sorry for not fighting for you sooner-"

"no, i'm the one that pushed you, i should've just backed off and gave you some time. gave you space just like you asked-"

"toni." cheryl cut her off by placing her hand on the back of her neck.

"i forgive you okay. i don't care about anything that has happened this past month and a half. all i care about is you  _now_. i love you toni and i'm never letting you go again, you hear me? this is it."

toni chuckled as the tears flowed down both of their cheeks and they leaned forward and bumped their foreheads together.

"so what now?" toni asked softly.

"now we heal."

cheryl leaned forward and brushed her nose against toni's before leaning in for a soft kiss. she captured her bottom lip in probably the softest kiss they've ever shared. they pulled away and looked into each other's eyes, glossy and full of love before leaning back in.

the kiss was so slow. they breathed each other in as toni brought her hands up to cup her cheeks. cheryl scratched the back of toni's neck as she placed her other hand on her outer thigh. they both tilted their heads to the right for a deeper, more intimate kiss. their tongues sneaking out to lightly brush against each other's.

toni hummed into the kiss and snaked her fingers into her hair as cheryl gripped her thigh tighter before sliding her hand up to rest on the side of her ass.

"cheryl... i want you. take me to bed." toni whispered between kisses.

cheryl, never breaking away from the kiss, stood up, bringing toni with her. she lowered her hands down the backs of toni's thighs and lifted her into the air, the shorter woman wrapping her legs around her waist. cheryl carried her to her bedroom and kicked the door behind her.

when she reached the bed, instead of throwing toni down on it like she did last night, she got up on the bed on her knees and gently lowered toni down onto the mattress, their lips never breaking away. toni wrapped her legs around her waist and crossed her ankles to lock her in.

cheryl sucked on toni's bottom lip before digging her teeth into and pulling back gently before releasing it. she moved her lips down her jaw, placing pillowy open mouthed kisses down to her neck. she placed kisses up and down the column on her neck before sucking softly on the dark mark she already left on her last night.

"are you trying to make it permanent." toni breathed out causing cheryl to chuckle into her neck. she placed one last soft kiss to the area before trailing her lips up her neck and sucking her earlobe into her mouth. she dragged her tongue around the shell of her ear and softly bit onto the top of it.

toni hummed as she slid her hands under cheryl's shirt. she spread her fingers and slid her hand up and down cheryl's back. getting annoyed by her bra getting in her way, she swiftly unhooked it and resumed sliding her hands up and down cheryl smooth back, gently scratching her skin with her finger nails.

cheryl sat up on her knees, causing toni's legs to fall on either side of her. cheryl looked down at her with the softest eyes and she gripped the hem of toni's shirt. she lifted the shirt up and toni sat up to allow her to remove it. toni grabbed the hem of cheryl's shirt and cheryl raised her arms to allow toni to take it off. seeing as her bra was already unhooked she slid it off her arms.

toni licked her lips as she stared at her bare chest. cheryl is an ass person but toni is definitely a breast person. she gripped cheryl's hips and moved her until she was straddling her lap. toni leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the middle of her chest, moving her lips around to kiss every inch of her chest. she kissed down the valley of her breasts and over the round of her right one. she kissed all around it before ghosting her lips over her nipple. she wrapped her lips around it and slid her hands up and down cheryl's back as she sucked on her.

"toni." cheryl moaned as she tangled her fingers into toni's hair. she threw her head back with a gasp as toni sucked more of her into her mouth.

she switched to show the other one attention as she kneaded the abandoned one with her hand.

"i've missed you so much." cheryl breathed out and toni pulled away just for a second to say she missed her too before latching on again.

when toni pulled away cheryl pushed her gently by her chest and toni leaned back down on the bed, cheryl now straddling her waist. she slid her hands up toni's stomach and placed her hands on either side of her head. she leaned down on her elbows and captured her lips. their lips moved together slowly but the kiss was so tender.

cheryl massaged her fingers through toni's hair, reveling in the sound of her humming. she pulled away and stared down at toni.

"i love you." she whispered.

"i love you."

cheryl leaned down and placed a single kiss to toni's lips before trailing back down her neck. cheryl took her time worshipping toni's body. this was the complete opposite of last night, which was heated and angry and rough. this was gentle and slow, and they were in no rush. it's like cheryl wanted to re-explore toni's body again as if it were the first time.

cheryl sat up on her knees and unbuttoned and unzipped toni's jeans. she slowly dragged them down her legs and off her ankles and set them on the floor with their other discarded clothing. toni reached forward to undo cheryl's jeans and with her help removed them from her body.

cheryl, still sitting up on her knees, lifted toni's right leg up and rested her ankle on her shoulder. she slid her hand down the inside of her leg, and back up, down and back up. she pressed her lips into the side of her foot, trailing them slowly up her calf, to the side of her knee. she put her leg back down on the bed as she trailed her lips up her thigh. she took a few moments to suck on her inner thigh.

she removed her lips and moved down to the foot of the bed to do the same to her left leg. starting at the top of her foot and trailing her lips higher, taking her precious time, until she reached her inner thigh.

cheryl pulled her lips away and tucked her fingers toni toni's panties. she slowly slid them down her legs and dropped them on the floor before settling on her stomach in between her legs.

she tucked her hands under both of toni's legs and threw them over her shoulder, toni crossing her heels and resting them on her back.

cheryl blew into her wet center, causing a shiver to run up toni's spine before dragging the tip of her tongue through her folds. toni bit her lip and released a sigh as she threw her head back into the mattress.

slowly, cheryl moved her tongue up and down her folds, over and over again, keeping her speed steady. she wrapped her lips around toni's clit and sucked on her  _so slowly._ she hummed lightly into toni's core as she poured every ounce of love she had for the girl into her.

toni whimpered as she gripped and pulled at the bed sheets, her other hand snaking into cheryl's hair and gripping it for an anchor. toni felt soft fingers interlace with the ones gripping the bedsheets and she felt her other hand rubbing up and down her thigh.

toni was suddenly hit with a strong wave of emotion. she opened her eyes and stared up at the ceiling as the tears flowed down the side of her face, into her hair. this felt like the time they had sex after sharing their first i love you's, but much more intense. this was about reconnection. making love to each other after weeks of mistakes, and stubbornness, and pushing each other away. they had each other back, forever.

cheryl could feel the emotional radiating off her girlfriend. she squeezed her hand and pushed her face deeper into toni, moaning into her. she squeezed her thigh and moaned over and over into her center causing toni's back to arch off the bed with a cry.

"cheryl." toni moaned out with a broken cry. she was right on the edge and it felt way more intense than it did last night. she squeezed cheryl's head with her thighs and bucked her hips up into cheryl's mouth and this time cheryl didn't slam her hips back into the bed. she encouraged her movements by matching her rhythm.

cheryl didn't want to pull her mouth away to tell her to cum so she just groaned into her center and squeezed her hand and thigh tighter.

toni's hips stiffened and she called out cheryl's name and she fell over the edge. she dug her nails into the back of cheryl's hand and pulled at her roots with her other hand as cheryl worked her through it.

when she came down she dropped her body back into the mattress with a sigh and a-

"shit." she breathed out.

cheryl kissed her way back up her body until she reached her lips, she gave her one kiss before raising up on her hands to hover over her.

cheryl's eyes softened when she saw toni's tears and she leaned on her right hand to wipe them off with her left.

cheryl giggled a little and leaned down to press a cute kiss to the tip of her nose.

"i love you so much." cheryl whispered and she raked her fingers through toni's hair.

"i love you. i love you more than anything." toni said as her eyes watered again. cheryl just leaned down and captured her lips in a sweet kiss. their lips moved languidly but with passion.

cheryl scratched her nails through toni's hair and the girl underneath rubbed her hands up and down her back. she settled her left hand on the small of her back as her right hand curled around cheryl's shoulder.

as they made out cheryl slowly slid her right hand down toni's side almost teasingly if it weren't for the fact that they were in no rush tonight. cheryl wrapped her hand around the back of her thigh, squeezing the flesh before sliding it higher to grope her favorite part of toni's body.

she brought her hand around the front of her body, and with two fingers she massaged the hood of her clit before dragging them through her folds.

toni hesitated in their kiss as her breath hitched and a moan escaped her as cheryl slid her tongue into her mouth. she circled her clit  _so slowly,_  but still had toni moaning into her mouth.

she sped up her fingers as she trailed her lips down to her neck, sucking on that same damn spot. she sucked a little harsher on her neck and bucked her hips into toni and let out a needy groan.

"toni. i need you." she whimpered.

toni gripped the back of her neck with her left hand to pull her head up to recapture her lips as her right hand worked it's way around to the front of cheryl's body. she teased her for a few seconds before making direct contact with her clit, starting real slow and working her way up to match cheryl's rhythm.

cheryl whimpered in her mouth as their kiss got deeper, and they rocked on each other's fingers. cheryl lowered her fingers to toni's entrance and circled it, toni following her lead. at the same time they entered each other with two fingers, sliding down to the knuckle so gently.

"shit." cheryl whispered against toni's lips and toni dug her nails of her free hand into cheryl's shoulder blade.

they thrusted into each other over and over as they never stopped kissing, until cheryl groaned needily into her mouth again.

"wait." cheryl said as she broke away from the kiss.

"what's wrong?" toni breathed out, her chest rising and falling rapidly as her fingers cane to a stop.

"i need you closer." cheryl slid her fingers out of toni and stuck them in her mouth to quickly lick them clean and toni did the same.

cheryl leaned down for one kiss, pulling away slowly before adjusting herself on top of toni. she wrapped her legs around her waist and put her hands on either side of toni's head before lowering her center down onto toni's. they both moaned in unison at the feeling.

they've only done this a handful of times, toni actually being the first woman cheryl has done this with, but every time it's been one of the most pleasurable and intimate experiences.

cheryl leaned her full weight on top of toni as she started to grind into her, toni's hips bucking up to match the rhythm. their lips found each other's again in a fervent kiss, their tongues pressing together on every kiss, moaning uncontrollably into each other's mouths.

"fuck i love you." cheryl groaned into toni's mouth who just moaned in response. cheryl didn't even need to hear it back, she could feel it.

cheryl bit down on toni's bottom lip and pulled it back before releasing it. she stopped her motions and sat up. before toni could ask why she stopped cheryl lifted both of her legs and rested them on her shoulders before leaning back down.

toni's knees were right beside her head, and cheryl dug her hands into the mattress other either side of her legs, locking her in. she started to grind into her again.

toni released a high pitch moan and threw her head back. cheryl took this opportunity to attack her neck, sucking, kissing and ravaging the warm skin.

"fuck...  _cheryl."_ cheryl knew this was toni's needy whine.

"what do you need baby?" she mumbled into her neck.

" _uhh_... talk to me."

cheryl lifted her head up and pressed her lips to toni's.

"you are so beautiful."

she kissed her lips again.

"and sexy."

kiss.

"and perfect."

kiss.

"i love you."

kiss.

"i love you so fucking much."

she trailed her lips down to her neck.

"you're mine forever."

she bit down on her pulse point before laving over the area with her tongue.

"no one else is ever gonna kiss you again but me."

she growled and sucked her earlobe in between her lips and toni was moaning uncontrollably.

"no one else is ever gonna touch your body again but me."

she sucked on the area right below her ear.

"that's a promise."

she leaned up to capture toni's lips again and toni furrowed her brows and whimpered into the kiss.

"you're mine, forever." she growled against her lips.

"ugh... cheryl... i'm gonna..."

"cum with me baby."

they rubbed against each other, kissing passionately, and moaning into each other's mouths as they came. it was so wet cheryl damn near slipped off but they continued to ride out their high. they got to a point where they couldn't even kiss anymore. they just moaned and breathed heavily into each other's faces as their foreheads remained connected.

they continued to ride the waves as they just continued to ripple through their bodies. falling over the edge two more times until they couldn't anymore.

with a hiss, cheryl raised up off of toni's center as they both released long raspy groans. cheryl collapsed on top of toni, her face falling into her neck as they just breathed heavily. their breathing slowly but surely regulating.

cheryl heard toni sniff and she leaned up to look down at toni. tears were flowing out of her eyes and sliding down into her hair. cheryl leaned down to capture her lips in a soft lingering kiss, her own eyes starting to water. she pulled away and opened her eyes to look down at toni again and her tears escaped and slid down her cheeks.

toni cupped her cheeks and wiped her tears with her thumbs before pulling her lips back down to hers. they kissed three times then cheryl placed a kiss to her cheek before snuggling her face into toni's neck. they both just held each other as they cried together. not tears of sadness but of pure love and joy of just being back in each other's lives.

-

after 10 of the most emotional minutes they have ever shared together, they took a shower together and cuddled underneath the fresh sheets.

toni's head was rested on cheryl's chest, listening to her heart beat. their legs were tangled together. cheryl scratched at toni's scalp as toni rubbed her fingers up and down cheryl's ribcage.

"cher?" toni said softly.

"yeah baby?" cheryl responded and toni smiled at the term of endearment.

"earlier today you mentioned getting lunch with jason, your- your brother."

"yeah. after that horrible dinner i had with my birth parents, and ya know seeing you and you know who there, i stormed out and he chased me down and he really helped me out. he listened to me vent, gave me some advice. and we ended up staying in contact."

toni sat up on her elbow and looked down at cheryl. she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.

"i'm sorry i wasn't there for you. and i'm sorry you had to see us there. i know it just made it worse-"

"toni" cheryl interrupted and placed a hand in her cheek.

"stop apologizing. it's okay. sure it sucked but something good came out of it. i have a brother now. and he said he would love to meet you."

toni smiled down at her and leaned into her touch.

"i'm so glad you do. i'm really glad you have him. and of course i would love to meet him too." toni leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to the corner of her mouth before snuggling back on her chest.

it was silent for a while, the two just basking in each other's presence. the only sounds to be heard was their soft breathing and the sound of cheryl's heart beating against toni's ear. it was peaceful. that is, until toni suddenly spoke up.

"you know forsythe told me he loved me."

"he  _what?"_ cheryl abruptly sat up, causing toni to fall off of her and turned to look down at her in shock.

"when?"

"the day i found out he was playing me. i confronted him about it. basically told him he never changed. and he was begging me for a second chance, saying he meant everything he said. and then when i told him to never contact me again he told me he loved me. but i just think it was a manipulation thing."

"i'm gonna murder him."

toni chucked and cupped cheryl's cheek, caressing it with her thumb before leaning up to press a kiss between her eyes.

"you aren't the only one who wants to babe. but you know i obviously don't feel the same way. i don't feel anything for him. i couldn't care less about him."

"i know baby. i know. you don't have to keep saying that. i know who you heart belongs to."

toni pushed cheryl by her shoulder to lay back on her back and leaned down to press a kiss over her heart before laying her head there.

"with you. forever."

"forever."

-

the next morning the two were woken up by a phone call from veronica asking if they wanted to meet her and josie for sunday brunch. they agreed and got up and ready and toni drove them to she and josie's favorite brunch spot.

"good morning." josie greeted with a smile as cheryl and toni walked hand in hand up to their table and sat across from them.

"morning." the both greeted back.

"how was your talk last night? assuming it went well since your holding hands and look happier than ever?" veronica asked.

"it went very well." cheryl started.

"yeah we discussed everything and now we're just going to move forward." toni added.

"that's great. so you two are good now?"

"yeah... we're uh... really good." toni said lowly, looking at cheryl who winked in response.

"that's excellent, because we have something we need to share with you." veronica said nervously and toni and cheryl gave them their full attention. josie and veronica shared a look, having a conversation with their eyes before veronica nodded to josie.

"i asked... veronica to move in with me."

"and i said yes."

"wait really?" toni exclaimed with a shocked expression.

"i asked her a while ago, but we didn't want to say anything because you both were going through shit. but now that you're good we can finally tell you." josie explained.

"so, i'm gonna be losing a roommate?"

veronica poked her lip out and reached across the table to grab her hand.

"if you don't want me to-"

"veronica are you crazy? of course i want you to move in with josie. i'm so happy for you two. it's just- we've been roommates since we were six."

"i know, it's going to be so hard not living with you. but hey, you can visit anytime, we can have sleepovers and we're still gonna be best friends. forever."

"oh my God, my best friend in moving in with her girlfriend. you're growing up." cheryl said, nothing but proudness shining in her eyes.

"i know, can you believe it?"

"seriously ronnie. i'm so happy for you. i don't know two people more perfect for each other."

"i hope this means an engagement is around the corner." toni wiggled her eyebrows.

"hey now, one step at a time." josie said and the four of them fell into a small fit of laughter.

"but i'm so incredibly happy for you two as well."

"thank you toni." josie said as she wrapped her arm around veronica's waist and the two smiled at each other.

"a toast." cheryl said as she reached for the glass of water in front of her, the other threw grabbing theirs as well.

"to veronica and josie, starting a new chapter in their lives."

"to veronica and josie." the three of them said in unison and they clinked their glass together. 

"mmm and speaking of chapters." toni said after taking a sip of her water through the black straw.

"i may have an idea on how to get revenge on forsythe."

"oh do you now?" josie asked and toni nodded her head firmly.

"well, do you need help. you know we're great at schemes." veronica joked.

"nope. this one is all planned out."

"do tell." josie leaned forward in her seat.

"alright, here's what i'm thinking."

 


	26. this just in

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we're nearing the end of this fic, so lets wrap up this forsythe drama why don't we.
> 
> smut warning, mild in the middle, and at the end hehehe.....
> 
> until next time! enjoy and catch me on twitter @cheryltoepaz

**THIS JUST IN:** _author forsythe jones caught getting cozy with journalists, elizabeth cooper from 21 magazine and ceo of topaz magazine, toni topaz. love triangle?_

toni sat at her computer as she read the article that forsythe warned her would come out. she had to admit the article was well written, but it didn't make forsythe look like the jerk he really is. her eyes narrowed at the words  _'playing the field'_  and  _'having fun'_  and  _'casual dating'_. but she just knew if this was a woman doing the same thing they would be chastised for it.

she would've been more upset at the words she was reading if it weren't for the soft hands rubbing firm circles into her shoulders.

"you okay baby?" cheryl asked as she rubbed her thumbs in deep circles into her shoulder blades.

"they're basically praising him for this. if only they knew the truth."

"they will soon." cheryl stopped massaging her shoulders and rubbed her hands down her arms. she leaned down and pressed a kiss to her cheek and another one to her jaw. but toni had no reaction as her eyes remained glued to her computer screen.

cheryl stood straight and pulled toni's rolling chair back before spinning her around to face her.

"babe forget about the article okay. just for a couple minutes, don't think about it. he's going to get what he deserves. and right now you have to focus okay."

"okay." toni nodded.

"are you nervous?"

"a little, but i'm just going to tell my truth."

"that's right. you got this baby. and i'm gonna be there with you the whole time."

toni softened her eyes and smiled before puckering her lips. cheryl giggled and leaned down to place one, two, three pecks to her lips before they were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"come in." toni said as she and cheryl backed away form each other as the door was opened.

"they're ready for you miss topaz." ben, toni's new assistant that she had hired about three weeks ago, said as he entered her office.

"i'll be right up, thank you ben." and the young man nodded before exiting the office.

"how's the new assistant?"

"so far so good. nobody will ever live up to you of course but he's efficient." toni answered with a smile as she stood from her chair and cheryl leaned in to place one more peck to her lips before cheryl smoothed her hands down her blazer.

"lets do this."

toni nodded and cheryl followed her as they left her office. toni wanted nothing more than to grab her hand but they promised each other they would keep office pda at a zero. toni walked out of the doors of her office and towards the elevators, making a pit stop at jessica's desk before entering the elevator. she took deep breaths as they rode up one floor to the studios where her interview was scheduled to take place.

she didn't feel as nervous as she usually was when she does an interview because this one is going into her own magazine and website and youtube page. but the nerves were still there. she was afraid that people wouldn't believe her story, especially after purposefully waiting until after the news dropped to do the interview.

she walked through the door of the studio and smiled when she saw her best friend, who wrapped her in a hug.

"you ready?" josie asked as she backed out of their embrace, her arms rested on her shoulders. toni nodded and drew in a shaky breath.

"you got this girl, you already know all the talking points. just tell the truth and everything will be fine.

"let's do it." toni nodded firmly and followed josie to the the two stools that were directly facing each other, sitting in front of two cameras, one pointing at toni and one pointing at josie.

toni suddenly felt a huge twinge if nervousness and felt hot under the set lights. she looked past josie, off the set, where her girlfriend was standing. she mouthed the words ' _i love you'_ and it instantly calmed her as she mouthed the same words back.

"alright recording in 5, 4, 3, 2." the camera man counted down and pointed at josie who looked past toni, right into the camera.

"hello, i'm josie mccoy and welcome to topaz magazine. today i am here with none other than ceo and founder, toni topaz. how are you today?" josie looked away from the camera and to toni.

"i'm doing well, thank you."

"well, let's just jump right into it. we all saw the news articles that have dropped today about a certain rendezvous love triangle between you and author forsythe jones."

"indeed we have." toni chuckled nervously with a nod.

"so what is going on with that?"

"well, it wasn't a shock to me if that's what you're wondering."

"what do you mean?"

"i'm here to tell my story so i'll start from the beginning. i was going through a... rough breakup and he was being really sweet and nice. and i'm sure most women can agree when you're vulnerable it's easy to fall for sweet talk. and we were having a great time. he took me on a date. we kissed. but i explained to him that i wasn't ready to move on. i was...  _am_  still in love with my girlfriend, and i was completely honest with him when i told him he was a rebound."

"and how did he take that?"

"he said that he was honored to be my rebound and that he would wait forever for me. and i mean, who wouldn't fall for that. and i won't lie he was very respectful of that. never forced me to do anything. everything was good. that is until i received word from my brother, fogarty topaz, that he was seeing someone else. of course i was in denial. i mean he was perfect, almost too perfect. but i confronted him about it and he told me it was true. he admitted to everything."

"and what do you mean my everything?"

"the love triangle. it was a pr stunt. he used me and elizabeth cooper, to create drama to help sell his books and make a name for himself, especially before his movies come out."

"and he admitted all of this to you? why?"

"i'm not sure. i mean, something like this could ruin his career. he's knows i'm a journalist. but, he professed his love for me, so maybe that could be why he was honest with me. but there's something else i haven't told you, haven't told anyone actually."

"oh?"

toni looked past josie, to cheryl who smiled with an encouraging nod.

"forsythe and i both attended nyu at the same time, and we dated for a while. at the time i was happier than i ever had been. we even planned to start topaz magazine together. but i found out our relationship was all a lie. he did something, i won't reveal what, that completely broke my trust. in fact, in the article i wrote about him for our august issue, when he mentioned the girl he met in college, he was talking about me. so when i found out he was just using me  _again_ , it made me feel... horrible."

"but weren't you doing the same thing to him?"

"using him as a rebound? yes i was, but he was aware of that and i was honest with him about it from the beginning. i mean i had just broken up with my girlfriend and i didn't want to lead him on or give him false hope. but he was not only using  _me,_  but someone else just to make himself more famous. i can only imagine how the other woman feels. and then that article that came out today made forsythe look really good. they just played it off as casual dating and fun and playing the field. but the people deserve to know the truth."

"and, why did you choose your own magazine for this interview"

"what better place to tell the truth then on my own magazine? i wouldn't lie to myself. and i know there will be people who won't believe me. and maybe doing this interview will actually end up helping forsythe achieve more fame. and if so, then good for him. but i needed to tell my side of the story. i needed to tell my truth."

josie smiled proudly at her best friend and toni tried her best to keep her face neutral but when she looked over at cheryl and saw she was smiling toothily her lips curled up into a soft smile.

"thank you so much toni."

"thank you."

"and cut! great job ladies." the camera man said and the two best friends stood from their stools and met for a hug.

"that was amazing." josie said as she rocked toni from side to side in their tight embrace.

"thank you. i was so nervous. it's so different when you're on the receiving end of the questions." toni chuckled out as she pulled away.

"please, i knew you were going to kill it."

just then cheryl walked up to them wearing an equal look of pride.

"you did great toni. as i knew you would"

"it helped having you in my corner." toni wanted nothing more than to kiss her right now, but she knew she couldn't, not out in the open at least. she figured cheryl could tell what she was thinking when she smirked and mouthed 'later'

"so when is-" before josie could finish her question their was a knock on the door as jessica walked in the room, a blonde woman trailing behind her.

"miss topaz, i have elizabeth cooper here."

"thank you jessica." jessica nodded and left the studio as toni approached the woman with her hand extended.

"hi elizabeth, i'm-"

"toni topaz. i read about you in the article that came out today."

"thank you so much for coming here today. i know this can't be easy."

"what? finding out the guy you were dating is a major asshole. doesn't this happen daily?" betty said lightly and toni chuckled.

"unfortunately. uh... this is josie mccoy, a journalist here at topaz, she's going to be conducting your interview and this is cheryl blossom, our head of social media."

as elizabeth shook josie's hand she squinted her eyes at cheryl peculiarly, before shaking hands with her.

"weren't you the woman i saw at the movies in the park event a couple weeks ago."

"yeah, that was me." cheryl chuckled nervously.

"cheryl is actually my girlfriend, we were broken up when i was... dating forsythe." toni forced out with a look of disgust.

"oh, it all makes sense now."

"well we can go ahead and get this interview started, i've already shot my footage before you arrived. so just relax, and josie is going to take good care of you."

"how much of this interview will be in the magazine and video?"

"anything you don't want to be added just say off record before answering and we'll be sure to cut it."

elizabeth released a breath, her body seemingly relaxing and she nodded her head. toni smiled at josie and patted her back before she and cheryl made their way out of the studio to allow elizabeth to feel more comfortable in her interview.

when the two walked into the toni's office and shut the door cheryl pulled toni by her arms until they were pressed together and her hands fell to toni's backside. cheryl leaned down for a single kiss as toni wrapped her arms around her shoulders.

"there's that kiss i knew you wanted."

"thanks babe. do you think that went well?" toni asked as she interlaced her fingers behind cheryl's neck.

"i already told you i did."

"do you think people will believe me?"

"it doesn't matter if people believe you or not. you told the truth and that's all that matters. plus we have elizabeth going on the record so the cards are in your favor." cheryl did a quick drum roll on her ass and toni chuckled before leaning up for a quick peck.

"thanks baby. you keep me sane."

"all in a days work. speaking of work." cheryl groaned with a roll of her eyes and toni giggled before leaning on once more to place a slow kiss to the corner of her mouth.

"i'll let you get to it."

"i just hope this day goes by fast, i really wanna be wrapped up in you." cheryl said lowly, suddenly changing the mood with a nibble of her bottom lip.

"last night wasn't enough?"

" _no_. we were separated for over a month baby, i gotta make up for lost time. i've missed this ass."

cheryl squeezed her backside causing toni to squirm with a laugh before grabbing her wrists and removing them from her backside.

"you better get to work then babe. we promised, no more hooking up in the office."

"fine fine."

"plus, the faster we get through the day the quicker i can get you in my bed." toni said lowly.

"oh is that right?" cheryl shivered and toni nodded with hooded eyes. cheryl growled lightly and leaned it for one last parting peck.

"i love you."

"i love you too. now get back to work."

"aye aye boss." cheryl walked away, placing a smack to her rear. they turned back to face each other at the same time and cheryl winked when toni blew her a kiss, before exiting her office.

God, they were so in love.

-

this day dragged on, taking forever to get to 5 o'clock. it also didn't help that toni and cheryl spent most of the day flirting via text message. but finally the day was over, and toni was looking forward to going home with her girlfriend.

toni walked out of her office as her employees starting packing up. some of them were already gone, and some were still working away at their desks, either unaware of the time or purposefully staying late.

toni made eye contact with cheryl as she was logging off her computer and shot her a wink before walking into josie's office. she knocked on the open door and she looked up from her computer.

"hey how'd it go with elizabeth?" toni asked as she leaned against the door frame.

"it went very well. i think we have an amazing story on our hands. the video is being finished as we speak and i'm revising the written interview now, and everything will be ready to go up at noon tomorrow. i'll be here another hour, then was going to get dinner with ronnie, you and cheryl want to tag along?"

"as exciting as that sounds," cheryl suddenly popped up, standing next to toni. "i really just want to spend some alone time with my love tonight."

"thanks for the offer though, next time." toni added.

"i get it. go have an amazing evening and i'll see you tomorrow."

cheryl and toni waved goodbye before intertwining their fingers and leaving the office.

"i have a surprise for you when we get to my place." toni said once they got settled into her car.

"do i get a hint to said surprise." cheryl hummed as she rubbed circles over the hand that was rested on her thigh.

"i may have had my chef prepare your favorite food for dinner. and... something else but you'll see when we get there."

"toni topaz, you really know how to treat a girl right."

"only for you babe." she grabbed her hand and lifted it up to her mouth to press a kiss to the back of it.

"i love you more than anything." she mumbled i tot he back of her hand before pressing another kiss to her soft skin.

"i love you too, baby."

-

" _shit!"_  toni nearly screamed as she slammed her head back onto her floor.

after enjoying a delicious spread of seafood, toni had led cheryl up to her bedroom where she found her bed and floor covered in rose petals, a bottle of cheryl's favorite wine in an ice bucket and two large pieces of  chocolate cake, which of course is cheryl's favorite.

it was initially toni's plan to open the wine and enjoy the cake on her balcony but when she wrapped her arms around cheryl from behind and started peppering kisses up the back and side of her neck, cheryl had a much better idea for the cake.

and that's how they found themselves on the floor an hour later covered in chocolate. they don't even know how they ended up on the floor but neither of them were complaining.

as toni's breathing started to regulate cheryl trailed her lips back up her stomach, pausing to suck some chocolate icing off the top of her breast, before trailing up to her lips.

"God, i've missed you." cheryl mumbled against her lips.

"you... cheryl blossom... are sensational." toni murmured between kisses as she slid her hands up and down cheryl's back. cheryl trailed her lips down toni's chin, across her jaw down to her neck.

"fuck, i love you so much." toni breathed out as she wrapped her arms tighter around her.

"i don't know what i did to deserve a second chance with you."

cheryl's lips halted and she raised her head up to look down into toni's eyes.

"don't. don't do that. we've both made mistakes toni and we both deserve each other okay."

toni nodded as cheryl moved a piece of sweaty hair from her forehead and tucked it behind her ear.

"you are the love of my life toni. never forget that."

"never." toni stated strongly although her voice was soft.

"good." cheryl reached her arm out above toni's head to scrape some chocolate icing off the plate and brought her fingers up to toni's lips. "because it's you and me forever baby."

toni wrapped her lips around cheryl's finger, keeping her eyes locked on hers as she sucked the icing off of her finger.

"forever." she echoed and cheryl leaned down to capture toni's lips in a passionate kiss.

-

the next day at 12 o'clock on the dot, toni watched as both the article and the video of she and elizabeth's interview about forsythe went public. she had the youtube video pulled up on her computer, the article on her laptop, and the official topaz twitter account on her phone.

the video was amazing, especially elizabeth's part. she definitely helped toni look more credible. the article was very well written, but she didn't doubt josie for a seconds.

but twitter, that's what toni was most afraid to look at. she knew how the twitter world could be. some people had no filter when it came to tweeting and she was afraid that it would all be hate.

she dialed a number on her desk phone and put it on speaker, ringing twice before it was answered.

" _hello?"_

"can you come to my office right away please?"

" _be there in a sec."_

toni's foot was tapping and she was squeezing a pink stress ball. a few seconds later there was a knock on her door and before she could say come in it was opened. her body instantly relaxed at the sight of her girlfriend.

"baby, i need you." toni rushed out, and cheryl's eyebrows tilted down in concern.

"what's wrong?"

"i need you to read the comments under the article you just tweeted. i'm too nervous to look."

cheryl chuckled with a shake of her head as she took a seat in the chair in front of toni's desk, after grabbing her phone from her.

toni's leg resumed its bouncing as she watched cheryl scroll down on her phone, silently reading the comments to herself.

"baby you're killing me. what do they say?"

"you want me to be 100 percent honest."

"yes, please. just tell me."

"okay, there's a few that are hateful, of course from men. but 90 percent of them are all positive."

"really?" toni's foot stopped tapping and she sat up in her chair.

"yeah, like this one. 'forsythe jones really staged a publicity stunt just to make him self more famous. pathetic.'"

toni chuckled as cheryl read another one.

"please, that article about forsythe made it seem like he was just casually dating, but if it were a woman in his shoes she would be blackballed."

"read me a bad one."

"are you sure?"

toni nodded confidently and cheryl scrolled through the comment section to find one that was bad but not that bad.

"mmmm... okay here's one. 'so what if it was a publicity stunt? his books are still amazing.'"

"come on cher, i knows there's one worse than that. i know you wanna protect my feelings but i can take it."

"are you su-"

"yes babe i'm sure."

"okay..." cheryl hummed as she scrolled through the comments again in search for the worst comment she could find. well, not the worst comment, but something worse than the one she just read.

"okay here's one. 'who's to say toni and elizabeth aren't lying just to get more views and clicks. so fucking transparent.' okay this guy is a fucking idiot but a lot of the replies to his comment are defending you so that's good."

"okay. okay. this isn't bad. you said 90 percent of the comments are positive so i'll take it. thank you baby."

"no problem baby. let me know if you need anything else."

"i will. we still on for lunch?"

"indeed my love. in fact, we can go now if you aren't busy."

"sure, i can revise evelyn's article when i come back. let's go."

-

when the couple got back from lunch there was a lot of commotion going on as they walked into the office. and people were standing around in groups, looking like they were watching something.

suddenly josie jogged towards the two with a smile on her face.

"josie what's going on?" toni asked.

"while you were at lunch, forsythe went live on instagram."

"he did? what did he say?"

"watch for yourself." josie pulled out her phone and opened the instagram app. she searched forsythe's name and clicked on his profile picture to play his live video. the three of them huddled around the phone as they watched the video.

" _hey everyone, it's forsythe here. i'm sure you all have seen the news that has come out the last two days regarding me and toni topaz and elizabeth cooper. and i just wanted to hop on here real quick to set the record straight."_

toni furrowed her eyebrows when forsythe paused and looked away from his camera like he was looking at someone.

_"my publicist is probably going to kill me for saying this but everything stated in the topaz magazine article is true- no ryan no! i'm doing this so sit your ass back down."_

forsythe yelled away from his camera again and toni assumed he was talking to his publicist.

" _it's true. my love triangle or whatever you want to call it was a pr stunt, to help bump up my book sales before my movies were released. i never wanted to hurt anybody. i write drama, so i thought being involved in_ ** _drama_** _would get people talking about me. but i didn't think about how it would effect toni and elizabeth, so i just wanted to publicly apologize to you both. i... i'm not a bad guy. i swear. and i'm not trying to justify what i did. i just hope you guys can understand. thank you."_

"wow. i don't even know what to say." toni said once the video was over.

"just wait, that's not all." toni watched as josie opened up her twitter app and typed forsythe jones in the search bar. toni's eyes widened as she read the tweets. a few of them defended him but most of them were not.

_they always try to apologize after getting caught. forsythe jones is a joke._

_i'll never buy another one of his books ever again._

_wow so it's true, lmao forsythe_ _jones_ _is_ _lame._

 _forsythe jones_ _imagine faking a love triangle just to get famous._

a lot of the tweets were the same. barely anyone was giving forsythe a break. and toni's lips curled into a smile at the tweets. she went out on a huge limb and her plan worked. forsythe was finally getting what he deserved.

"that's what you get for messing with toni topaz."

"you did not just speak in third person." cheryl chuckled, nudging toni's arm with her own.

"i did and i meant it."

"i think this calls for celebration huh. i mean the drama is  _finally_  over." josie sighed.

"how about drinks at the bar. it's thursday which means dollar drinks all night."

"that's perfect, plus i can keep my boo company while she works."

"great. i'll texts fangs and see if he and joaquin want to come. and kevin and moose can join too." toni suggested.

"so we're just all gonna be hungover at work tomorrow huh?" josie joked, before patting toni on the back and walking back to her office. cheryl moved to step in front of toni and leaned in so their faces were only inches apart.

"and maybe after the party we can have our own after party." cheryl said lowly.

toni shivered and bit down on her bottom lip as she dropped her eyes to cheryl's lips.

"oh most definitely." toni said barely above a whisper. and like a magnet the two started to lean in until cheryl suddenly backed away.

"uh uh uh. no office pda remember." cheryl smirked as she walked away leaving a dazed toni behind.

-

after work, toni a cheryl drove to toni's place to get clothes for their evening out as well as pajamas and clothes for work tomorrow, although cheryl insisted she wouldn't need them she packed them anyway.

the two of them freshened up, taking what was meant to be a quick shower before getting dressed for the evening.

"babe can you hand me my- woah." toni gasped as she walked in from the bathroom fully dressed. the moment she saw cheryl her jaw dropped. cheryl has on a tight maroon leather skirt, a black long sleeved crop top, and black thigh high boots. she wore a dark maroon lip with matching eyeshadow and her hair was pulled up into a tight high ponytail, her completely straightened hair hanging down her back.

"your what?" cheryl asked as she stood from the bed after slipping her second boot onto her foot.

"i- i don't even remember. you look..." toni didn't even finish her sentence, she just scanned cheryl's body with her eyes.

"so do you." cheryl said as she also scanned over toni's body. taking in her black jeans that hugged her curves graciously, an olive green shirt, a glossy lip, natural makeup, hair wavy and parted in the middle, and her own black thigh high boots on.

"you look so good, you know you used to not dress like this before we started dating." cheryl said as she walked closer to toni and slid her hands onto her hips.

"is that supposed to be a compliment? i dressed just fine." toni chuckled as she wrapped her arms around her shoulders.

"oh come on babe. you remember how you dressed the first time you came to the bar. you looked like you were going to a work event. admit it, i've influenced you. you didn't even own a pair of thigh high boots before we started dating."

"okay okay, maybe my style has changed a  _little_  since dating you."

cheryl giggled and leaned down the tiny distance to capture toni's lips in a soft pillow light kiss.

"okay okay let's go before i change my mind and pin you to this bed." cheryl placed a light pat to toni's backside before backing out of their embrace, grabbing her purse.

"babe you can't say stuff like that right before we're about to walk out the door." toni whined as she grabbed her own purse and followed cheryl out of her room.

"aw i'm sorry babe. maybe if you're lucky we can sneak away early tonight."

"i think you mean if  _you're_  lucky. you're the one who can't get enough of this ass." toni swayed her hips a little extra as she walked in front of cheryl and out of the front door.

"oh it's like that huh." cheryl chuckled as she locked the door, taking toni's hand as they walked down the hallway. "i'll be surprised if we stay more than an hour tonight cause now i really can't wait to get you back home."

-

the bar was packed. all the regulars and then some were present. veronica, sweet pea and reggie barely had a second to talk let alone breathe as they made drink after drink after drink.

the group had been there maybe 40 minutes, spending the first ten minutes getting liquored up before separating, kevin and moose standing against the wall nursing their drinks, and josie staying at he bar to keep her girlfriend company, fangs and joaquin chatting with some of the regulars and cheryl snd toni getting handsy on the dance floor.

the newly made up couple danced until they decided they needed a break and another drink. cheryl led toni through the people, holding tightly to her hand until they reached the bar.

"makes you miss me huh?" cheryl yelled to veronica, as she stood behind toni who sat up on a stool.

"no, this place has been ten times better since you left." veronica joked as she handed another drink to her girlfriend, leaning over the bar for a quick peck.

"yeah i find that hard to believe." cheryl joked back.

"you guys want another round of shots?" veronica asked.

"sure, but only if you take one with us." josie said with pleading eyes.

"i don't have time babe."

"oh come on, you can take a 5 seconds break to take a shot with us." cheryl spoke up and veronica groaned with an eye roll.

"fine." she placed 4 shot glasses on the bar, and filled them all to the rim with gold tequila.

"trying to get us drunk veronica?" toni joked as she watched her pour all of the shots.

"maybe." she shrugged and set the bottle back on the shelf as they all grabbed a shot glass.

"to...." josie trailed off, starting the toast.

"to the drama finally being over. to new beginnings. and... to love." toni said as they held their shot glasses in the air.

"what she said." josie said and they all clinked their classes together before tossing the shots back and slamming them on the bar.

cheryl wrapped her arm around toni's back and gripped her outer thigh. she gripped her chin and turned her face around. she leaned down and pressed one, two, three kisses to her lips before placing a kiss to her temple.

"get a room." josie scoffed and chuckled when toni shot her the middle finger.

"wanna dance again babe?" cheryl asked as she rubbed her hand up and down her arm.

"sure. wanna join us josie? you've been sitting here all night." toni asked as she gripped cheryl's hand and stood off the stool.

"sure, only if you keep your hands to yourselves."

"no promises." cheryl chuckled and placed a smack to toni's backside.

as they walked towards the dance floor, toni's smile faltered as none other than forsythe walked towards them.

"what the hell is he doing here?" cheryl asked through gritted teeth.

"so much for the drama finally being over. i'm gonna let you handle that." josie mumbled and walked back to the bar as forsythe stopped in front of the couple.

"forsythe. what are you doing here?" toni deadpanned.

"i saw on your instagram story that you were here."

"stalking me now?" she crossed her arms.

"call it what you want, but can we please talk... alone."

"whatever you need to say to me you can say in front my girlfriend."

"o-oh, you're back together?" his eyes widened in shock.

"that's right. and i'd really like to go dance with my girl so could you make this quick."

"look, i'm sorry okay. i know that no amount of apologies will ever make up for what i did. and i know you'll probably never trust me again. but i meant everything i said to you toni.  _everything."_

"aha! you really expect me to believe you." toni scoffed.

"come on toni. i basically just ruined my career for you."

"and i should feel sorry for you? you brought this on yourself. you chose to fake a pr stunt and it came back to bite you in the ass, and that's exactly what you get. i forgive you or whatever but i couldn't care less about you now forsythe, so if you'll excuse me."

toni went to talk away but forsythe stepped to the side, blocking her path.

"toni." he pleaded and toni ignored him and went to walk away again when forsythe blocked her path again. this time he reached out to grab her wrist.

"toni please."

he realized he crossed a line when cheryl grabbed toni by her hips to pull her away from him and stepped in between them. she pushed him back with one hand.

"listen here you  _bitch_. don't you  _ever_  put your hands on her again." cheryl poked the middle of his chest with her pointer finger on the word  _ever_. "take the fucking hint. she doesn't want you, so just do what she said and leave her the fuck alone. you're a fucking loser. you've hurt her twice now and you don't deserve her. you never did, so get the fuck out of here before i get my friends to throw your ass out!" cheryl shouted over the music, pointing back to sweet pea and reggie.

forsythe swallowed dryly and blinked rapidly as he bowed his head in defeat.

"okay okay. i'm sorry. i- i'll never brother you again." and that was the last thing he said before backing away and turning around to exit the bar.

cheryl turned around to face toni and slid her hands around her lower back.

"are you okay?"

"yeah i'm good. thanks for protecting me."

"i got you. always." cheryl leaned down to press what was meant to be a short peck but toni leaned in deeper, enclosing her bottom lip between her own, causing cheryl to grunt in surprise. 

"and it was hot." toni mumbled against her lips and cheryl hummed and placed one last peck to her lips before pulling away.

"you wanna get outta here?"

"yes please."

cheryl grabbed toni's hand and walked over to the bar to say goodbye to josie and veronica.

"hey we're gonna head out." cheryl informed them.

"wow, already?" josie asked as she shook her head with a chuckle. "well, have a great night."

"oh we will." toni smirked and josie faked gagged before they four of them said goodnight.

"i knew we wouldn't last an hour." cheryl chuckled as they left the bar, the both of them giddy with excitement for, what is sure to be, a long night ahead of them.

-

" _fuck cheryl."_  toni moaned out as her head slammed back into cheryl's bedroom door. cheryl's lips were attached to her neck, a bare thigh pressed firmly in between her bare legs, a strong grip on her hips, nails digging into her skin, as she push and pulled her back and forth on her thigh.

"cum for me." cheryl growled. as toni did, cheryl removed her thigh from her center and thrusted into her with two fingers, starting slowly but speeding up and pressing her thumb firmly on her clit as she brought her to another climax. and they were both intense.

"fuck okay." toni breathed out. and cheryl slowed down to a stop and slowly pulled her fingers out. she brought her fingers up to toni's lips and they made eye contact as she sucked her own arousal off of her fingers.

"shit."

"you good baby?"

"yeah just... give me five minutes."

"okay. go lay down, i'll be right back." cheryl gave her a quick peck and patted her backside. toni went to go lay on the bed as cheryl left her bedroom. veronica was staying at josie's so she didn't have to worry about covering up her naked body as she walked into the kitchen. she grabbed two water bottles out of the refrigerator and walked back into her room. extending one to toni who sat up to drink it.

she downed half of the bottle in one take and screwed the cap on before setting it on the nightstand next to cheryl's. she laid back on the bed looking at cheryl through hooded eyes as she walked to the foot of the bed. she crawled up over toni until they were at eye level. toni opened her legs up for her as cheryl leaned her full weight on top of toni.

she bit down on her bottom lip tugging it back a little. she released it and flicked the tip of her tongue up her top lip before sliding it into her mouth, tilting her head for more intimacy.

toni hummed into the kiss as she wrapped her hands around her sides and dragged them up to grip the back of her shoulders. the kiss was deep and passionate, their tongues rolled around each other's as they moaned and hummed into each other's mouths.

cheryl felt toni start to buck her hips up into her and she hesitated in the kiss before pulling away.

"what's wrong?" toni asked, looking up at her with furrowed eyebrows.

"there's... something i've always wanted to try with you that we haven't done yet."

"oh?"

"do you trust me?"

"with my life." toni answered without any hesitation . cheryl cracked a smile and leaned down to press two pecks to her lips before jumping off the bed.

"stay here, relax. i'll be right back."

toni sunk down into the bed as cheryl walked into her bathroom. she raked her fingers through her hair as she waited for her to come back. she didn't know what cheryl had up her sleeve but she knew whatever it was, it was gonna be epic, as every time with cheryl is. she had an idea of what cheryl was thinking about but cheryl was full of surprises, so she didn't assume. but when the bathroom door opened and cheryl walked out toni's first thought was correct.

her eyes widened and her breathing picked up in excitement as her eyes dropped down the harness around her waist. she licked her lips as cheryl sauntered to the front of the bed.

"fuck yes." toni thought she said that in her head but realized she actually said it out loud when cheryl smirked and chuckled.

"you want this?" cheryl asked sweetly, tilting her head. toni nodded rapidly as cheryl crawled over her once again.

she hovered over her and leaned down to capture her lips again in a heated kiss. toni groaned and a shiver shot up her spine when she felt the coldness of the toy touching her thigh.

as they kissed, toni whined into her mouth as she wrapped her legs around cheryl's waist, bucking her hips up impatiently, searching for some friction.

"someone's eager." cheryl giggled against her lips.

"shut up and fuck me." toni groaned into the kiss.

"you sure you're ready for this?" cheryl trailed her lips down to her neck, sucking harshly.

"fuck yes. give it to me."

cheryl raised up in her hands and wrapped her right hand around her throat and pressed down on her pulse point, causing toni to moan.

"what was that?" she raised an eyebrow at toni.

"please baby. i want you." toni said much softer.

"that's what i thought." cheryl leaned down for one quick peck before raising back up. she looked down between their bodies before looking back up at toni, she kept her eyes locked on her as she pushed the tip of the toy into her entrance. toni groaned as cheryl stretched her out, sinking slowly but surely until their hips connected.

"fuck." toni rasped out, cheryl's thumb still pressed into her pulse point.

cheryl pulled the toy out slowly until just the tip was inside and slammed back in hard. she pulled out slowly again only to thrust in again, just as hard, repeating this over and over, causing toni to grunt on every thrust, her eyes already rolling into the back of her head.

"fuck you're so hot." cheryl growled as she removed her hand from toni's neck, causing to the girl to gasp at the sudden clear flow of air.

cheryl leaned her full weight down on toni. she slid her hands under toni's body and wrapped them around the back of toni's shoulders and attacked her neck as she sped up her thrusts. and it wasn't gentle. she was fucking toni hard and fast, their bodies bouncing up and down on the mattress. the headboard tapped the wall on every thrust.

toni was moaning uncontrollably, as she dug her fingernails into cheryl back, dragging them down, leaving red stripes down her back.

"ch-cher f-fuck." she stuttered out, her eyes shut tightly, eyebrows pointed down, mouth parted and moan after moan falling from her lips.

cheryl bit down rather hard on her pulse point before stalling her hips and raising up on her hands, arms fully extended. she resumed her movements, fucking toni right through the bed. she hissed at the feeling of toni's nails digging into the skin of her lower back. she grabbed her wrists one by one, and pinned them to the bed above her head, holding them there as she continued to thrust roughly into her.

she thrusted hard and fast into her, not letting up for a single second as toni's eyes rolled into the back of her head and her moans were more frequent and high pitch, basically screaming. and nothing but filth was coming out of cheryl's mouth.

"yeah you like that."

"fucking take it."

"no one can fuck you like i can."

she didn't even know what the fuck she was even saying , but it was having an effect on toni, so she just kept talking.

"such a girl good girl for me."

cheryl crossed toni's wrists above her head and held them with her left hand as her right hand went back to her neck, squeezing tightly, but still giving toni enough space to breath.

"fuck- cher- i need-"

"i know what you need, but you cum when i say you can cum."

toni whimpered and her eyes rolled into the back of her head as cheryl pounded into her. and she was relentless.

cheryl was breathing heavily and toni was barely breathing. they were sweating and cheryl could feel herself loosing adrenaline, but she pushed through, not slowing down for a single second. and toni could feel herself losing touch with reality, her vision blurring, the only thing she could feel was cheryl pounding into her over and over. she didn't even know how long they've been fucking, it could've been an hour for all she knew. when in reality it had only been fifteen minutes.

toni sucked in a sharp breath when she felt cheryl's hand release her neck, but released the filthiest moan cheryl's ever heard when she felt that same hand rub fast circles on her clit.

"CHERYL FUCK."

"cum for me gorgeous."

and she did. hard. her back snapped off the bed with a cry and a string of curse words followed by cheryl's name. and cheryl kept going until toni came again, sending herself over with the pressure on her own clit, and the sight and sound of toni cumming.

cheryl had planned to keep going until she came again and again and again until toni told her to stop, but she suddenly got an idea. she slowed down to a stop and slowly pulled out as toni fell back into the mattress with a drawn out breath and a-

"shit."

she gave toni a five minute break, needing one for herself too because  _fuck._

she licked a wet trail up toni's neck, humming at the salty taste before shoving her tongue into toni's mouth in another heated kiss.

"fuck cher- that was-  _fuck."_  toni mumbled against her lips, unable to find the words to describe what just happened.

"i'm not done with you yet." she growled into the kiss as toni released a moan into her mouth.

as they kissed, cheryl flipped them over until toni was on top of her, toni squealing in surprise at the swift yet smooth transition.

"ride me baby." cheryl murmured in between kisses. toni pulled away from their kiss, placing her hands on either side of cheryl's head as she lined herself up with the toy.

she lowered herself down, inch by inch, slowly, until she was full. she raised up slowly and sunk back down with a heavy moan as her sensitive core go used to the feeling again.

"come on baby, give it to me." cheryl commanded as her hands rubbed up and down toni's thighs.

"shit." toni breathed out as she gradually sped up. cheryl slid her hands all over her body, spending a good amount of time groping her backside.

toni felt more full than she ever has and was moaning and groaning as she rode cheryl but she was playing it safe and cheryl could tell. she was having none of that. with a frustrated grunt cheryl gripped her hips and moved toni faster on her, bucking up to meet her thrusts.

"fuck." toni gasped as she gripped the bedsheets tighter.

"when i said give it to me i meant  _give it to me."_  cheryl said placing a smack to her rear, looking up at her, eyes dark with lust. toni bit down on her lip, breathing out heavily as she started to ride her faster and harder, her eyes rolling back in her head as the toy bumped into her spot on every thrust.

"o-oh sh-shit uh-uh" she moaned out on every thrust.

cheryl bit down on her bottom lip as she watched toni bounce on top of her. a sight she will never get tired of seeing. her breast bouncing in front of her face was so enticing. cheryl leaned up to take a nipple into her mouth, biting and sucking on it.

"fuck cher!"

cheryl released it with a pop and gripped her neck again, squeezing down on her pulse point, she knew it was one of toni's biggest weaknesses.

toni choked out a moan. she sat up and held onto cheryl's arm tightly as she bounced down on her forcefully, meeting cheryl's up thrusts. she was panting and moaning uncontrollably as she gave cheryl her all. she gave her everything she had until she started to lose it.

" _cheryl."_  she whined needly, as her hips started to stutter and lose rhythm. cheryl knew she was falling out of it and decided to help her.

she sat up to a sitting position, shifting until toni was in her lap, legs on either side of her, the toy never leaving her. she pulled toni by her hips as close as possible, until she literally couldn't get any closer. cheryl gripped her waist and rolled her hips into her, and she pulled toni into her to match her rhythm.

toni's head lolled back and cheryl had to wrap her arms around her back to catch her before she fell backwards. cheryl pressed her feet into the mattress and bent her knees up to lock toni into place. she leaned back on her left hand as her right had wrapped around toni, gripping her waist, and she thrusted up into her, toni bouncing down lazily to match her thrusts, but cheryl was doing most of the work.

toni's stomach became tight and her head became lightheaded. her eyes were rolling far back into her head as her moans got stuck in her throat. cheryl, feeling toni getting closer, wrapped her arms tightly around her back and quickly moved them, slamming toni's back into the bed, her head hanging off the foot of the bed. once again she started pounding into her hard and rapidly, the rhythmic sound of skin slapping echoing into the room.

cheryl gripped the edge of the bed as she thrusted relentlessly into her. toni was bounced further and further down the bed until she suddenly gripped cheryl tighter, almost falling off the bed. cheryl quickly grabbed her by her waist and pulled her back. she placed her hands on either side of her head, right above her shoulders to keep her on the bed as she continued her attack on her core.

cheryl moved her right hand in between them and started rubbing vigorously on her clit. toni's back snapped up and her mouth parted but once again no sound came out, and her nails were digging painfully into cheryl's back.

"baby cum for me."

and toni came again, for the fifth time tonight, harder than her previous climaxes. and of course, cheryl didn't stop. she thrusted sloppily into her sending toni over again and again and again, until she couldn't take it anymore.

"okay okay fuck fuck." toni patted the bed as if she were tapping out and cheryl stopped immediately, the both of them basically wheezing to catch their breath.

cheryl pulled out of toni as slowly and as gently as she could, and rolled over on her back next to toni with a huff. both of them just laid there in pure bliss. after a few minutes cheryl looked over at toni whose eyes were closed, and breathing back to normal.

"baby don't fall asleep we gotta shower before we get in bed."

toni slowly opened her eyes and nodded as cheryl sat up, pulling her with her. they took a nice relaxing and scorchingly hot shower before cuddling in bed. cheryl was spooning her, their fingers intertwined, occasionally pressing feather light kisses to the back of her shoulder and neck. it was peacefully silent until toni suddenly spoke up, softly and raspy.

"i don't know how the hell i'm gonna make it to work tomorrow."

cheryl just chuckled and pulled toni tighter into her, and pressed a kiss to her shoulder before settling her head into the pillow.

"goodnight my love." cheryl whispered.

"goodnight my love."

 


	27. we really are growing up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one is really soft and fluffy, we're starting with a bittersweet cheryl/veronica/sweet pea/reggie moment.
> 
> and of course its also smutty (it's a montage :)) enjoy!
> 
> only two more chapters left :( 
> 
> also i changed my twitter @ so you can now catch me on twitter @topazgotjuice

"remember these?"

cheryl patted down the packing tape over the closed cardboard box. she looked up at her best friend from where she was sitting on her floor as veronica held up a blue and white, yarn bracelet with beads on it that spelled cheryl's name.

"oh my God, yes. our friendship bracelets that we made in 5th grade." cheryl giggled as she stood up to her feet in front of veronica and grabbed the bracelet from her to admire it.

"it definitely won't even fit anymore." veronica laughed as she grabbed the bracelet back and tried to force it down her hand.

"i cant believe you kept it all these years."

"you haven't?"

"i'm sure it's in my room somewhere. i guess i meant kept up with it."

"it's special to me. just like you are."

cheryl smiled weakly as she reached out to run her finger over the white beads that spelled her name. she took a moment to look around veronica's room that was now completely empty except for her bed and few boxes.

"i cant believe this is our last night living together." cheryl said softly, her eyes starting to water. she didn't even try to fight the tears back because  _cheryl cries._

"i know. it's like the end of an era."

"21 years."

the girls stood next to each other as they looked around the bare room, each of them thinking of their own separate memories that took place in this room.

"remember the first time it stormed after we moved in. the power went out and you were afraid so we lit a bunch of candles and made a fort in here."

"that went from one of the worst to one of the best nights." cheryl laughed and a tear rolled down her cheek as she recalled the memory.

"and you threatened me that if i ever told anyone you were afraid of storms you'd kick my ass."

"a threat that still stands to this day."

they both laughed.

"remember when you got the flu and i had to take care of you. you were so fucking needy and then you ended up getting me sick." they laughed again as the tears flowed freely down their cheeks. cheryl sniffled and wiped her tears with the back of her hand.

"i don't cry."

"yes you do." veronica giggled as she wiped her own tears.

"i can't believe it's really coming to an end. we've shared so many memories in this very apartment and now y-your leaving-"

"leaving the apartment, not your life. we're still gonna be best friends, nothing is ever gonna change that."

"i know."

it was silent for a couple seconds until veronica nudged her arm.

"hey, let's not make our last night together all sad and emotional."

"what are you suggesting?"

"i say we hop into our matching onesies, you remember the ones we got for Christmas a couple years ago?" veronica asked and cheryl nodded with a laugh. "crack open a bottle of wine. order our favorite takeout place and have a movie marathon. just like the old days."

"sounds good to me."

and that's exactly what they did. eating their favorite food, watching their favorite movie and getting tipsy off pink moscato. they laughed as they reminisced their favorite memories from living in this apartment together. they haven't had a girls night like this in so long. they talked and laughed until early hours in the morning, crashing on their couch around 4 am.

the next morning, or well, five hours later, the two woke up and made breakfast together. they even invited sweet pea and reggie over for one last breakfast as next door neighbors.

"i still can't believe you're moving in with your girlfriend. that's suck a grownup thing to do." reggie said as he soaked his pancakes with syrup.

"well we  _are_  growing up reggie." veronica replied.

"speaking of growing up, when are you two gonna settle down?" cheryl asked as she bit into her crunchy bacon.

"oh please, no woman can handle all of this." reggie said with his signature smirk as he flexed his bicep.

"i think you mean no woman  _wants_  to handle all of... whatever that is." cheryl said with an eye roll causing veronica and sweet pea to laugh.

"oh whatever, hater."

"i'm not opposed to settling down. just haven't found the right one. if ronnie wasn't already in love i'd be chasing after josie." sweet pea said.

"talk about my girlfriend again and i'll stab you in the eye." veronica said as she pointed her fork at him.

"relax ronnie i'm just kidding." sweet pea said holding his stomach in laughter and veronica pushed him by his shoulder, although he hardly budged. "damn i'm gonna miss messing with you."

"i know right. i cant believe this is it. this is the last morning we're gonna have like this." reggie said with a slight pout, causing sweet peas laughter to fade out.

"you three are acting like i'm leaving the country. i'm just moving across town. it's not the last morning we're gonna have like this."

"yeah but it's gonna be weird not having you two living next to us." sweet pea responded.

"what do you mean? you're still gonna have cheryl."

"actually they won't." cheryl spoke up and veronica turned to look at her with a confused expression.

"you're moving too?"

"well yeah. since it's just gonna be me, there's no need to keep paying for a two bedroom apartment."

"see, this  _is_  last time we're gonna get to have impromptu breakfast and lunch and dinner and movie nights. we won't be able to just walk next door in our pj's and raid your fridge anymore." reggie stayed with a somber expression.

"yeah, now we're gonna have to actually call, and plan shit." sweet pea added causing the two girls to chuckle.

"well you boys know you are welcome at my apartment anytime. you know josie loves you two as well."

"yeah and wherever i end up, you're welcome there anytime too." cheryl added.

"not to be a sap but... i love you guys."

"aww sweet pea, we love you too." veronica said as she stood up from her chair, cheryl following, immediately knowing what was about to happen.

"group hug."

and the four of them stood up from their chairs and wrapped each other in a tight embrace. they stayed like that for a while, just cherishing the last moment they would have together in this apartment. an apartment where they all shared so many memories. if it weren't for this apartment, cheryl and veronica wouldn't have met their best friends. best friends that they would all be for the rest of their lives.

-

three days later, cheryl was sitting at her dining table, scrolling on her laptop, searching studio and one bedroom apartments. ever since cheryl started making more money she always thought what it would be like to live in a much nicer apartment, especially now that she can afford it. but there's still that part of her that had the 'bartender money' mindset, and thought she should live somewhere that was cheap. so as she searched, she found herself to be really indecisive about where she wants to live.

she heard her bedroom door open and a few seconds later she felt hands rubbing down her robe clad arms, and soft lips pressed gently into her cheek.

"morning." a raspy voice whispered in her ear and cheryl scooted her chair back and pulled her girlfriend into her lap. she wrapped one hand around her bare thigh and placed her other hand on her lower back covered by one of her flannels. they leaned in for a short but sweet kiss.

"what are you doing up so early?" toni asked as she placed another kiss to her cheek and another to her jaw.

"searching for apartments. i forgot how hard it was, i haven't done this since i was 18."

"what are you looking at?" toni turned in cheryl's lap to look at her computer screen.

"studios and one bedrooms. i just can't decide what i want. it's just me now so, do i want something big or small? and i'm making almost triple what i made at the bar but do i really want something more expensive or something about the same price and save money. it's so fucking hard."

"you could just live with me." toni joked out but they both froze when they realized what she just said.

"what?"

there was a pause before toni turned to face cheryl. her lips curled into a smile.

"live with me." she said with a more serious tone.

"toni, are you serious?"

"i am serious. move in with me."

"baby... i love you. i love you so much, but... i don't think we should live together."

toni's face fell and cheryl tucked her finger under her chin and raised her head before leaning in to peck her lips.

"at least not yet. baby, we just got back together two weeks ago after a trying month, and we're so good right now. i don't want to rush this."

toni looked at her with soft puppy dog eyes, and all cheryl could think about was how cute she looked.

"hey, i'm not saying we'll never get there, but i don't think now is the right time."

"fine." toni sighed.

"so, you'll come apartment seeing with me tomorrow?"

"of course i will baby."

"you're so cute. come here." cheryl trailed her hand up toni's back to grip the back of her neck and pulled her in for a slow kiss. toni wrapped her arms around cheryl's neck as cheryl trailed her hand that was rested on her thigh up to her backside.

"you know," cheryl said as she pulled away slowly. "i can search later, why don't we take this back to bed."

toni answered with a deeper kiss. cheryl blindly shut her laptop and slid her arm under toni's legs, while her other fell to her waist. she stood from her chair, their lips never parting, and carried toni, bridal style, back to her bedroom.

-

"God i love you." toni said breathlessly as she fell onto her back next to cheryl.

"i love you too." cheryl said as she raked her fingers through her hair, moving it off her sweaty face.

"i'm gonna take a shower, wanna join me?"

"sure." just as cheryl swung her legs over the side of the bed her phone started to ring.

"go ahead and get it started, i'm right behind you." cheryl said, grabbing her phone off the nightstand as toni walked into the bathroom.

"hello?"

_"hey cheryl."_

"hey jason."

_"how's everything going?"_

"everything is good. you?"

_"everything is great. hey, would you maybe wanna grab some lunch tomorrow?"_

"sure. toni and i will be apartment searching tomorrow, but we can take a break for lunch."

_"oh yes, great, i'll finally get to meet her. wanna meet up around 1?"_

"one is perfect, just text me where and we'll see you tomorrow."

_"okay cool. see you tomorrow."_

after saying goodbye they hung up and cheryl placed her phone back on the nightstand.

"baby!" she called out to toni.

"yeah?" toni replied as she appeared in the doorway.

"that was jason, he wants to get lunch tomorrow."

"wait, am i finally going to meet your brother?"

"you are. are you ready for that?" cheryl joked as she walked up to toni and wrapped her arms around her lower back.

"well to be honest i'm a little nervous. do you think he'll like me?"

"babe, he's gonna love you. i already do. plus you know he played a part in veronica and josie's ruse to get us back together."

"okay okay- wait. he was part of the plan? how?"

"we'll tell you tomorrow." cheryl giggled a patted toni's backside before they both walked into the bathroom.

-

"but does this one really say me?" cheryl said, her arms crossed over her chest as she and toni stood in the living room of the fifth apartment they've looked at this morning.

"babe, yes."

"you said that about the first four apartments." cheryl sighed with an eye roll. whether she realized it or not she was being unreasonably picky about all the apartments they have looked at, and she doesn't even know why.

"that's because they  _all_  scream cheryl."

"babe be serious, i need your help."

"okay if i'm being honest. this one is the best one we've seen so far."

"what about it makes you like it the most?"

"well it's a nice size, not to big, not to small. it gets great light, has a nice view."

"yeah but it's a studio, and it's the furthest one from work that we've seen today."

toni sighed and rubbed her temples with her fingers.

"okay. what do you rate this one?" toni asked as she took out her phone and opened the notes app with the ratings of the first four apartments they've looked at so far.

"eh, i give this one a five out of ten."

"are you serious?"

"what do you mean?"

"cher, you've rated every apartment we've seen a five out of ten. at this rate you're never going to find a new place to live."

"well, none of them have spoken to me. so we'll just have to keep looking until i find one that does."

"okay baby." toni shook her head with a chuckle as she typed cheryl's rating into the note.

"alright well it's almost one so we should get going, then we have more places to look at after." cheryl reached her hand out and toni happily intertwined their fingers and followed her out of the apartment, down the elevator, and outside to where toni's car was parked on the street.

the drive to the restaurant only took about ten minutes, and the whole ride cheryl and toni's fingers were intertwined and resting on cheryl's lap.

the ride was silent and cheryl used this time to get lost in her thoughts. she doesn't know why she's being so picky about finding a new place to live. toni was right, every apartment they have looked in today was beautiful. but, for some reason cheryl wasn't drawn to them. but, why?

toni pulled into a parking space in front of the restaurant causing cheryl to break out of her thoughts.

"you okay?" toni asked as she squeezed her hand.

"hmm?" cheryl hummed as she snapped her head up to toni.

"you seemed really deep in thought."

"oh, yeah i'm good, just hungry." cheryl half fibbed. it wasn't a total lie, the two had not eaten breakfast that morning. toni squinted her eyes at her girlfriend, but she didn't press the matter further.

"okay. is he here?"

"yep, he's waiting for us. ready?"

"ready." toni echoed and the two exited the car, their fingers connecting again like a magnet as they walked into the restaurant and scanned the restaurant for cheryl's brother.

toni's jaw nearly dropped when her eyes landed on the only red headed male in the restaurant. she was so shocked at just how alike cheryl and jason looked, considering they were 6 years apart.

as the couple walked towards him, his eyes shot up and a smile grew on his face.

_they even smile the same._

"hey." cheryl greeted cheerfully as she let go of toni's hand to hug him.

"hey. it's so good to see you. and this must be toni." jason smiles as he backed away from their hug.

"jason i'd like to officially introduce you to my girlfriend, toni."

"it's so nice to finally meet you." jason said as he extended his hand forward.

"so nice to finally meet you as well." toni said as she accepted his hand and shook it.

"i've heard so much about you."

"all good things i hope."

"well there are only good things to say." cheryl jumped in as she rubbed her hand down toni's back.

"shall we sit?" jason asked and the couple nodded before sitting in the booth across from him.

"so, i heard you were a part of veronica and josie's plan to get us back together." toni said.

"oh you did, did you?" jason replied with a light chuckle.

"i'm curious as to how they got you involved?"

"well, i got a random call from veronica, she said she stole my number out of cheryl's phone. and she said she was in desperate need of my help in getting you two back together. and cheryl and i had literally only met in person once but after she told me how in love you two are, i really wanted to help my sister out. so fangs and joaquin had been spying on, you know who, and they told me that he'd be at some movie on the park thing with some blonde woman, who i assume now was elizabeth from that article. and that's how cheryl found them together."

"wow, veronica and josie were really on some charlie's angels shit." toni laughed out and the two siblings joined her.

"but i'm really glad i was apart of you two getting back together. i had only known cheryl for a short period of time but when we first met you two weren't together, but now she looks ten times happier than she did back then."

"well, thank you so much. we were stubborn and needed that push." toni said.

"ditto to that." cheryl agreed just as a waiter came up to take their drink orders.

"so, how's the apartment hunting?" jason asked after the waiter walked away.

"it's fine-"

"tell him how it really is." toni said before cheryl could even finish her sentence.

"okay, it's less than fine. we've looked at five apartments so far today and all of them were just... eh." cheryl shrugged.

"why just eh?" jason asked.

"i don't know. they just haven't spoken to me. this is where i'll be living, i just need to make sure it's the  _right_   _place_ , you know?"

"no i get it. well if nothing speaks out to you, you can always crash with me. i live in the campus apartments but they're nice and i don't have a roommate."

"thank you jason, you're very sweet. but i'm not giving up yet."

the waiter came back to take their orders and an hour later they were finishing up their food and the waiter had returned.

"how will we be splitting the check today?"

"we-" toni started but was quickly interrupted by jason.

"just one check."

the waiter nodded and walked away.

"you didn't have to-"

"nonsense." jason interrupted again. "i asked you out to lunch. plus, it's the first time i'm meeting my sisters girlfriend. i wanted to treat you both."

"wow. well thank you jason. you  _are_  really sweet."

"and it seems you're gonna be in my life for a really long time so you can pay next time." jason said with a charming smile, making toni chuckle.

"excuse me i need to use the restroom, i'll be right back." cheryl placed a quick kiss to toni's cheek because excusing herself from the booth.

"so how are things with you and cheryl?"

"things are... great." toni hesitated.

"are you sure? you kinda hesitated."

"i mean... really, things  _are_  great with us. we're better than we ever have been. but..." she trailed off.

"but?"

"okay. yesterday i may have asked her to move in with me."

"holy shit, really?"

"yeah. and i may have said it on a whim in a sort of joking matter but i didn't take it back. and since then she's been so hell bent on finding an apartment. do you think she just doesn't wanna live with me that bad."

"well i haven't known her long, but maybe she's scared?"

"scare of what?"

"i don't know, if you break up again? i'm just spitballing though." jason said with a shrug.

toni sighed and just nodded her head, not pressing it further. she couldn't expect more from jason seeing as the two siblings just met. part of her wanted to call veronica. nobody knows cheryl better than her. but she didn't completely rule out what jason said. it is a possibility.

but she and cheryl have said to each other multiple times since getting back together that they aren't gonna mess this up again and that they're in it forever. but maybe deep down cheryl still has that fear of being abandoned, especially since growing up in foster care.

"yeah... yeah, maybe you're right."

just then cheryl walked back towards the table and toni could help but light up at the sight of her.

"what were you two talking about?" cheryl asked with a smile as she slid back into the booth.

"well you obviously." toni answered with an equally bright smile as the waiter came back with jason's card.

"so, we're about to go look at some more apartments, would you like to join us?" cheryl asked.

"i would but i have class in an hour. but let's do this again soon, yeah?"

"yes definitely." cheryl agreed.

"but we're paying next time." toni said as they stood from the booth.

"deal."

-

toni released a tired huff as she plopped down on the couch inside the living room of the 12th apartment they've been to today. she rubbed her temple with her pointer finger and thumb as cheryl followed the realtor around the apartment.

eleven apartments. they've been to eleven apartments. and cheryl rated each apartment a five out of ten. there is no way cheryl could dislike every apartment they've been to when they have all been really nice. in toni's opinion at least and toni lives in a fucking mansion.

toni was sick of this. she knew exactly where cheryl belonged and it isn't in any of these apartments, no matter how nice they were.

"well i'll let you continue to look around and discuss and i'll be down the hall if you need anything."

"thank you." cheryl said and the realtor nodded before exiting the apartment.

"so, what do you think of this one?"

"honestly babe, i think it's sucks." toni flat out said with a slight frown as she stood from the couch.

"really?" cheryl said as she looked around the open living room.

"yeah it sucks. and even if it didn't you would still find something wrong with it, like you have with every apartment we've looked in today."

"i have not-"

"oh come on. yes you have."

"okay well excuse me for being picky about where i want to live."

"i get it but baby, i do. but, all of the apartments we've looked in have been beautiful but you always find something wrong with them. maybe this is your subconscious saying you shouldn't be moving into a new apartment at all. maybe this is a sign."

"a sigh for what?"

"a sign that you should move in with me."

"toni-"

"no baby, listen." toni interrupted as she reached for both of cheryl's hands.

"i love you, cheryl blossom. i love you more than anything. you are my everything. this isn't a proposal or anything... yet.... but you are the person i want to spend the rest of my life with. i meant it when i said you're mine forever and i know you meant it to. look me in my eye and tell me you don't feel the same way."

"you know i feel the same way toni."

"okay then let's do it. i know you might be scared, deep down, that we might break up again. but baby, i mean this with everything in me when i say i'm not losing you ever again. and, of course we're gonna fight again in the future, all couples do, it's inevitable. but we'll work it out, together. there's nothing that can happen that will make me wanna leave you. it's you and me, forever. so move in with me baby. i know in my heart that we are ready."

cheryl looked at toni with nothing but pure adoration as her eyes glossed over. the sincerity and passion laced in toni's voice made her fall even more in love with her.

toni was right. she was afraid, even if she didn't realize it until just now. but toni is her everything too.

"okay." cheryl said softly.

"o-okay?" toni asked, squeezing her hands and looking deeper into her eyes.

"okay. i'll move in with you toni."

"you- are you sure?"

"you give me a speech like that then ask  _am i sure?"_  cheryl chuckled out.

"i know but i just want to make sure you're absolutely sure."

"yes baby, i'm sure. i wanna be with you, forever. i wanna go to bed with you every night, and wake up with you every morning. i wanna do cheesy stuff like cooking breakfast together, or just lounging together in the living room. i wanna walk into your home office while you work and distract you with kisses. i want that toni. i want to live with you."

toni chuckled and smiled as her own eyes started to water.

"i love you."

"i love you too-"

cheryl barely got her reply out before toni grabbed her face and crashed their lips together in a passionate kiss. cheryl wrapped her arms around toni, grabbing her own wrist and resting her hands on her lower back. toni wrapped her arms tighter around cheryl's neck as their lips moved together, both tilting their heads for a more intimate kiss. they broke apart when breathing was necessary, but their foreheads remained connected.

"we're really doing this." toni whispered.

"we really are. we're growing up." cheryl nodded against her with a giggle before leaning back in, only to be broken apart by the realtor.

"oh i forgot to mention- oh- um- i'm sorry for interrupting... uh... i take it that you like the place?"

"actually i think we're going to go with a different location. but thank you so much for your time today." cheryl said politely as she intertwined her fingers with toni.

she didn't realize it then, but subconsciously she hated all of the apartments because deep down she knew where she belonged.

-

three weeks later.

cheryl walked up to the large home,  _her home,_  smiling as martin held the front door open for her.

"good morning cheryl. welcome back, for good this time." he greeted with a chipper smile.

"good morning martin." cheryl smiled back as she stepped over the threshold into the home,  _her home._

as she stood in the foyer, she took the time to look around the house. taking in the smell, which now that they were entering november smelled like cinnamon with a hint of apple. she noticed the detail of the mahogany wood that lined the staircase. she looked above her to take in the detail of the crystal chandelier, smiling at the many tiny rainbows reflecting in the light.

it's obviously not the first time cheryl has been here, but this time it's different. this time it's  _home._

"hi." that familiar voice took her out of her thoughts and she lowered her head to eye level as her girlfriend, who still had on pajamas, walked towards her, with a slight crease in her brow.

"everything okay?" she asked.

"yeah... this place just... speaks to me."

toni lips curled into a smile as she walked towards her girlfriend. she slid her hands up here arms and wrapped her fingers around her neck as cheryl hands fell to her waist.

"welcome home baby."

toni leaned in a enclosed cheryl's lips in a soft kiss, pulling away slowly and tilting her head before leaning back in for another slow kiss.

"have you eaten yet?" toni asked after they pulled away, and cheryl shook her head.

"okay let's have some breakfast while the movers bring your stuff inside."

as they two ate, the movers worked diligently bringing all of cheryl's belongings inside her new home, which was easy considering toni asked her to label where everything needs to go. so the movers dropped her kitchen stuff in the kitchen, her bedroom stuff in their bedroom, her living room stuff in the living room, and put everything else in the foyer for her to go through later.

when they were finished eating, cheryl followed toni into the living room to find martin, who was overseeing toni's staff as they started unpacking cheryl's living room decorations and finding places for them.

"martin?" toni called.

"yes?"

"please take the day off and tell the staff to go home as well."

"are you sure?"

"yes, i would like to spend the day with my love, uninterrupted."

"copy that. i'll send everyone home right now."

"thank you martin." and toni grabbed cheryl's hand and led them up to their bedroom.

_their bedroom._

cheryl could get used to this.

when they walked through the door, cheryl noticed her boxes stacked in the corner of the room. but the room was so large they barely took up any space.

that was the last thought cheryl had before she felt warm lips on her neck and small hands gripping her waist. she did a mix of a hum and a giggle as she threw her hands over toni's shoulders.

"why'd you send everyone home?"

"i think you know why." toni mumbled into her neck.

"maybe i do. but maybe i wanna hear the reason."

toni trailed her lips up cheryl's neck, across her jaw, and landed on her lips.

"this is your home now.... and maybe... i wanna... christen it." toni said in between kisses

"christen?" cheryl knew exactly what toni meant, and toni knew that she knew what she meant too when she felt her smirk into the kiss. but she knew what she wanted to hear.

toni dug her teeth into her bottom lip and tugged it back before releasing it and resting her forehead against hers.

"i want to fuck you all over this house." toni whispered, and cheryl smirked before leaning in for a deeper and much more heated kiss.

and that's where it started. in  _their_ bedroom. as they kissed, toni gripped the back of cheryl's shirt, backing up towards  _their_ bed and spun them around before pushing cheryl down on the bed.

cheryl knows toni. she knows when she wants cheryl to take control and she knows when she wants a little control. and the look in her eye as she crawled on top of her told her that toni wants the control right now, so cheryl let her have it.

toni straddled cheryl's waist and sat down on top of her. cheryl looked up at her, eyes dark with just as she placed her hands on toni's thighs. toni started unbuttoning her pajama top, slowly, teasingly. when cheryl saw black lace she shivered underneath her.

"fuck. you're so beautiful." cheryl whispered as toni threw the top on the floor.

toni leaned down to capture her lips again. kissing her with hunger and want. cheryl rubbed her hands up and down toni's lace covered back.

as they kissed heatedly, their clothes were ripped off until they were completely bare. their hands were everywhere, everywhere they could reach. toni lowered herself down cheryl's body, sucking harshly at her delicate skin. she didn't care that they were two grown for hickeys, she left  _a lot_  on her skin, her skin that could easily be covered by clothes however.

finally she reached her destination between cheryl's thighs. she licked her own lips before licking one, two, three stripes through cheryl's folds before enclosing her clit between her lips.

if cheryl wasn't pulling the bedsheets she was pulling toni's hair. there was never a moment where she was silent. if she wasn't moaning and groaning she was cursing and calling toni's name. every time her hips bucked up they were pushed right back down into the bed.

and toni basically sucked the life out of her until cheryl's back snapped off the bed with cry, and not stopping until she pulled another one out of her.

...

somehow they ended up in the upstairs hallway. toni was gripping the mahogany railing tightly as cheryl had her bent over the railing that over looked the living room.

her loud moans echoed through the house as cheryl plunged three fingers in and out her roughly. she smirked at the high pitch grunt toni released every time she placed a smack to her backside, over and over until her left cheek was basically red.

toni was extremely grateful that whoever built her house took the time to make sure the railing was secure and sturdy, because the way cheryl was using her hips to pound her fingers into her, she was afraid the railing would give way and they'd be tumbling down to the first floor.

...

they ended up in the kitchen. after being pounded into from behind for 30 minutes, they were both in desperate need of water and a break.

but, that break was short lived as toni drank from her water bottle and some of the water trickled out of the corner of her mouth. cheryl watched with hawk eyes as she followed that bead of water down her neck and into the valley of her breasts.

and that's how toni ended up on her back on the kitchen island as cheryl sank down to her knees and sucked the life out of her.

...

they ended up in the living room. cheryl was sitting on the floor, her back leaned against the front of the couch, as toni sat in her lap and bounced on her fingers. they don't know how they got there, or even  _why_  considering the couch was literally right behind them.

however, after two more orgasms from toni they did end up on the couch.

they were getting tired, losing adrenaline, but they kept going, unable to get enough of each other.

toni laid on her back, cheryl on top of her, as they rocked lazily onto each other's thighs. they were sweaty, and breathing heavily into each other's faces. their muscles were tensing and their nails were digging into each other's skin. but both groaned and sighed in relief as they came together.

...

they ended back in their bedroom five hours later. they were honestly exhausted but they were insatiable. something about the vibe today, they just couldn't stop. although they had a strong feeling this would be their last round.

"FUCK!" toni's head slammed back into her bedroom door and her nails dug deeper into cheryl's shoulders. her legs were wrapped tightly around cheryl's waist, hands gripping her backside as cheryl thrusts the toy strapped to her waist deep into toni.

cheryl pulled back a little and griped toni's hips, pulling toni down on every up thrust. toni iwas moaning uncontrollably and loudly as the sweat dripped down her neck. cheryl leaned forward and licked a stripe up her neck, tasting the saltiness.

"cher- i- i-" toni hardly choked out, barely able to breath let alone speak.

"i know baby"

cheryl was basically wheezing. her thighs were burning, her arms were shaking. but she pressed through, never losing her speed or rhythm.

"i- i can't-  _fuck!"_ toni squeezed her eyes shut tightly as a tear slipped from her eye.

"you can baby. this is the last one okay. give it to me. give me your all."

cheryl thrusted harder and faster into her. toni's eyes rolled into the back of her head as she neared the edge. she gripped cheryl's shoulder and started rolling her hips into her.

"there you go baby. good girl."

toni shuddered at the praise. she neared closer and closer to the edge, her breath getting caught in her throat.

she hissed and screamed cheryl's name, her body locking up and her head falling on cheryl's shoulder as she came.

cheryl slowed down, helping toni ride out her high. when she came down she stopped and pressed toni impossibly deeper into the door and leaned against her tiredly. she kept the toy deep inside her, not moving an inch, as she rubbed her hands gently up and down her sides.

after a few moments cheryl slowly and gently pulled the toy out of toni, kissing her shoulder when she heard her wince. but toni kept her legs wrapped around her, almost afraid to be put down.

"ughhhh fuck." toni breathed out as she raised her head up to look at cheryl.

"consider our home christened." cheryl giggled.

" _our_  home. i like the sound of that."

"me too." cheryl leaned forward to press a single, feather light kiss to her lips.

"i'm exhausted." toni said barely above a whisper.

"so am i. let's shower and take a nap."

"that sounds like a great idea."

cheryl unwrapped toni's legs from her waist and lowered her down to her feet. but, the second her feet hit the floor, toni's knees buckled and cheryl quickly wrapped her arms around her waist to catch her. she couldn't help but laugh.

"oh, i'm glad you think it's funny." toni said with an eye roll.

"i'm sorry baby." cheryl said, although still laughing.

"this is your fault."

"you're damn right it is. come on." cheryl lifted toni back up and carried her into the bathroom for a shower.

the second their heads hit the pillow, toni cuddled into cheryl's side, resting her head on her chest. it was silent for a few minutes. they both felt themselves falling asleep, before cheryl suddenly spoke up.

"you know, i realized something." cheryl started and toni just hummed in response. "i think i hated all of the apartments we looked in a few weeks ago because, deep down, i knew i belonged here."

"i already knew that. i knew that after apartment five." toni replied, chuckling tiredly.

"none of those apartments spoke to me but the second i walked through the front door this morning, it screamed home."

"our home."

"our home." cheryl echoed before placing a kiss to the top of toni's head, and they fell asleep after sharing an  _'i love you'._

-

they were woken up around 7:30 that evening by the sound of a phone ringing.

"cheryl." toni whined, half asleep.

"it's your phone." cheryl mumbled back.

toni huffed and sat up to grab her phone off her night stand, she answered it a fell back down on cheryl's chest.

"hello?" she answered groggily.

" _hey... are you asleep?"_ fangs voice came through the phone.

"i was until you woke me up."

" _why are you asleep? it's only 7:30."_

"because we've had a long day, what do you want?"

" _well, joaquin and i were wondering if we could stop by for a little bit."_

"can't you come tomorrow." toni looked up at cheryl and whispered 'i'm sorry' when she heard her whine her name tiredly.

" _well we would but we're already half way there. plus we have something we really need to tell you, and cheryl."_

"ugh okay fine." toni hung up before saying goodbye and threw her phone to the door of the bed.

"baby." toni placed her hand on cheryl's cheek and leaned down to kiss her still lips.

"mmm what?" she mumbled, her eyes still closed.

"get up baby, fangs and joaquin are on their way over." toni said gently.

"why?"

"i don't know, but they said they needed to talk to us. so get up, they'll be here in like ten minutes."

cheryl released a long sigh which turned into a groan.

"okay."

the couple still laid their for a couple minutes, allowing themselves to fully wake up before they dragged themselves out of bed. they dressed themselves in some comfortable clothes before walking down the stairs just as fangs and joaquin arrived.

toni opened the door after hearing the doorbell ring and the other couple walked into the house.

"where's martin?" fangs asked.

"i sent everyone home for the day." toni answered.

"why?"

"why do you think dumbass."

"oh-  _oh_. my bad." fangs said as he followed toni into the living room. she ushered fangs and joaquin to sit on the couch that they didn't use during their... christening. and she and cheryl sat on the love seat.

"so what did you need to tell us that couldn't wait until tomorrow?" toni asked.

fangs and joaquin shared a look, smiling giddily at each other.

"show them." fangs said.

joaquin lifted up his left hand and the women's eyes immediately locked on the black and gold band on joaquin's ring finger.

"oh my God!" toni gasped.

"we're engaged!" the men yelled at the same time.

"what- when did this happen?"

"this afternoon." joaquin said, unable to stop smiling even if he wanted to.

"how?"

"well, after we had lunch we went visit to the music room at nyu where we met, i told him it was just for nostalgia. and i just, did it." fangs explained.

"and i said yes." joaquin smiled.

"well obviously." cheryl laughed, causing the two men to laugh as well.

"oh my God guys! i am so fucking happy for you both." toni said as she stood from the love seat and gave each of them a separate hug.

"i can't believe my brother is getting married."

"i know we just got engaged like three hours ago, but toni, will you be my best man? well, my best woman?"

"fangs, i'd be honored." she said, giving him another hug.

"wow, we really  _are_  growing up." toni chuckled after they pulled away, and smiled when she noticed cheryl beside her and felt her hand on her back.

"we really are." cheryl agreed. "congratulations guys."

"thank you." they said at the same time.

"and i have a feeling someone might be next." fangs said as he wiggled his eyebrows.

"we just moved in together  _today."_  cheryl said.

"yeah, one step at a time." toni agreed, but little did cheryl know...

 


	28. let's go home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> second to last chapter :( 
> 
> a shorter chapter but so, so important!
> 
> enjoy! and catch me on twitter @topazgotjuice
> 
> (also sorry no smut this time, i kinda need a break from writing it)

2 months later.

toni tucked her feet underneath her as she sat on her couch. she adjusted the red flannel pajama top she was wearing. she looked around the living room as veronica, josie, fangs, joaquin, sweet pea, reggie, kevin and moose all sat around her living, each of them wearing their own set of pajamas.

a smile graced toni's face as cheryl walked back into the living room, wearing the same flannel pajamas as toni, holding a tray with a coffee mug for everyone present on it.

"and here we are, my special hot chocolate." cheryl said cheerily as she set the tray down on the coffee table.

"oh yes! cheryl makes the best hot chocolate." sweet pea said as he quickly reached for one of the mugs.

"should i be offended that i'm only  _just now_  getting to try it?" toni asked as she leaned back against the couch with a mug in her hand.

"i  _only_ make it on Christmas babe, it's a tradition. and seeing as this is our first one together, then no, you should not be offended." cheryl reached for the second to last mug that was left and watched as everyone took their first sip. smirking as they hum and their eyebrows raise.

"no surprise you're good at making drinks." josie said as she licked whip cream off her top lip.

"seriously cheryl, this is amazing. what's your secret?" kevin's interest peaked from his spot on the floor.

"nice try kevin. you will never find that out. she won't even tell me." veronica replied, feigning hurt.

"aww, you'd tell me though right?" toni looked at her with those dough eyes that always turned cheryl into mush.

"of course i'd tell you baby." cheryl placed her hand on toni's thigh and leaned in for a sweet, chocolate tasting peck.

"oh?" veronica gasped.

"hey, be as fine as her and maybe i'll give you my recipe." cheryl joked.

"okay wow, i'm offended." veronica placed her hand over her chest with a scoff but instantly perked up when josie squeezed her thigh, turning her head to accept her quick kiss.

just then the doorbell rang.

"i got it, it's probably jason." cheryl said and patted toni's thigh before standing up from the couch. seeing as toni sent all of her staff home for the holidays, toni just texted the gate code to all of the current guests, and they had to answer the door for themselves.

"hey you made it." cheryl cheered as she opened the door to reveal her brother, engulfing him in a hug, jason only able to hug her back with one hand as his other hand was carrying two gift boxes.

"yeah i would've been here 10 minutes sooner if i hadn't took a wrong turn and got lost."

"well, welcome to our humble abode." cheryl said as he walked into the house and cheryl closed the door behind them.

"wow, this place is beautiful." jason awed as he admired the chandelier above him.

"thank you. well come on, everyone is already here, and we saved you a mug of hot chocolate."

jason nodded and followed her into the living room.

"hey everyone." he greeted, getting simultaneous hello's from the group.

"welcome welcome. have a seat, get comfy, and i'll take that for you. i love your pajamas by the way." toni said as she stood from the couch, admiring jason's buddy the elf inspired onesie. she took the two, neatly wrapped gift boxes and set them under the large Christmas tree with the others.

"well now that we're all here toni and i prepared brunch, and then we can start opening gifts?" cheryl suggested and the group all agreed.

after eating the rather large spread of breakfast food that cheryl and toni prepared, they all resided back into the living to start exchanging gifts. 

everyone thanked each other when they received their gifts. cheryl and toni gave veronica and josie a certificate for a full couples spa day. and veronica and josie gave toni and cheryl matching robes with their names on the back of them. toni gave fangs a new leather jacket and joaquin a new motorcycle helmet. cheryl gave sweet pea and new jean jacket and gave reggie the boots he's always wanted. jason gave toni film for her camera and gave cheryl a sweater and a coffee mug with the words  _number 1 sister_ on it. it was a simple gift but made cheryl tear up nonetheless. and so on and so forth.

but it was the gifts that the couples gave each other that were really sweet.

kevin gave moose a replica of the model plane they built when they met at camp in middle school.

veronica gave josie a rose gold necklace when her name and the date they met engraved in it. and josie gave her a crystal heart with a lyric from their favorite song engraved in it.

cheryl gave toni a charm bracelet with five charms signifying important moments in their relationship: a coffee mug, a shot glass, a newspaper, a panda head, and a party hat.

"a coffee mug because the first time we met was when i spilled coffee on you, a shot glass for the first time you came to the bar and the second time we met, a newspaper for when you hired me. a panda for when we went to that carnival and you won me a stuff panda bear. and a party hat for when i asked you to be my girlfriend on my birthday." cheryl explained to toni as she admired the bracelet.

"aw baby, i love it. this is so thoughtful and sweet. i love you." toni leaned in to peck her lips. "okay now me."

toni handed cheryl a small box and she opened it to reveal a set of car keys.

"toni? you didn't-"

"relax it's not a new car. well, it's new to you. i'm giving you my jeep wrangler. i never drive it so it's all yours. and i'm going to teach you how to drive so you can officially get your license. you need to be  able to get around baby, especially since you don't live in the middle of the city anymore. and what better way than in a black on black jeep wrangler."

"wow toni, this- i don't even know what to say, thank you baby. you are literally the best girlfriend ever."

"you're very welcome."

"okay me next." joaquin said as he reached for the small box under the tree and handed it to fangs. he unwrapped it to reveal a black box. he opened it to reveal a ring that looks just like the one on joaquin's left hand.

"i know we're already engaged, but i've always wanted to ask you to marry me myself since te first day i met you. but just because you just beat me to it doesn't mean i can't ask you too. so fogarty topaz, will you marry me?"

"aww babe. of course i'll marry you." fangs smiled and wrapped his hand around the back of joaquin's neck and brought him in for a sweet kiss.

"aww that's so sweet." josie said, wearing her own smile.

"you know what i just realized, cheryl and toni are the only couple that aren't engaged." veronica said as she flashed her diamond ring at cheryl with a smirk, that was given to her by josie on thanksgiving.

"hey, we're taking our time." cheryl said.

"yeah, besides it will only be six months of dating for us tomorrow." toni added.

"so, do you two have plans for your six month-aversary?" josie asks.

"well technically our six month would be january 26th since we were broken up for a month. but toni wanted it to be the actual six month mark from the day i asked her to be mine."

"yes exactly. and i may have a very romantic evening planned but that's all you all need to know." she said with a smirk before leaning over to press a kiss to cheryl's cheek.

-

"baby! are you ready?" toni called out from their bedroom as she stood in front of the mirror on the wall and slid her earrings on.

"yeah, coming!" she called back. she opened the door of their en suite and switched the light off. she walked out the bathroom as she smoothed her hands down her long, maroon, velvet dress.

"wow." toni said, and cheryl smirked at her as they walked towards each other and slid their hands around each other's waists.

"wow yourself." cheryl said back and leaned down to enclose toni's bottom lip in a soft kiss.

"shall we go?" toni asked once they pulled away.

"indeed we shall."

they grabbed their purses and coats and intertwined their fingers as they exited the bedroom, down the hall and descended the staircase. instead of walking out of the front door to where her already running car would be waiting for them like usual, the two walked into the garage where toni's cars were waiting for them.

they slid into her everyday car, and toni pressed the button to raise the garage door and she backed out, closed the garage door and rode down the driveway towards the gate.

"so where are we going?" cheryl asked as she played with the fingers that were rested on her thigh.

"it's a surprise."

"i thought you hated surprises."

"well... i've grown to love them." toni took a second to turn and look at cheryl, giving her a soft smile before turning back to the road.

the ride to, wherever toni was taking them, was silent, but it was a comfortable silence. every now and then they would glance at each other and smile.

when they got deep into the city and toni pulled into a parking space cheryl knew exactly where they were going.

"toni." cheryl smiled with soft eyes after they exited the car.

"figured, what better place to take you for our six month-aversary than the place where we had our first official date."

the two intertwined their fingers as they walked toward the building with no sign and the blacked out windows, and the tall muscular man in an all black suit standing in front of the door.

"toni topaz. welcome back!" he greeted with a smile.

"good to be back."

"well, come on in, your table is already waiting for you."

toni thanked him as he opened the door for them and the two walked inside. instead of being met by a hostess like last time they were met by the owner.

"toni! cheryl! welcome back!" the man with fiery red hair like cheryl's greeted them. cheryl was surprised he remembered her name.

"archie, always great to be back here." toni smiled as she let go of cheryl's hand to hug him.

"well, your table is ready so if you would follow me."

the couple, of course, intertwined their fingers again as they followed archie to toni's usual table. when they got there cheryl's jaw dropped. a bottle of chardonnay, cheryl's favorite wine, was in an ice bucket next to the table. a half dozen roses sat in a crystal vase in the middle of the table. and rose petals were scattered on top of the table.

"oh my God." cheryl gasped.

"we heard it was your six month-aversary so we wanted to do something special for you two. although i can't take the credit, this was all toni." archie explained.

"wow." was all cheryl could could say as she took in the table, before looking up at her girlfriend with the softest eyes.

"well, sit and your waiter will be with you shortly but if you need anything at all let me know."

"thank you archie." toni replied and when the man walked away she pulled cheryl's chair out for her to sit.

"my love."

"thank you."

"no problem." toni said as she sat in the chair next to her, rather than across the table.

"not just for pulling my chair out, but for all of this. you're so sweet. and half a dozen roses?"

"one for each month that i've loved you."

cheryl looked at her with a soft smile as she shook her head in a wonderfully unbelievable way.

"i love you so much."

"i love you more."

toni leaned in and cheryl met her half way for a soft kiss, letting it linger for a bit. they pulled away slowly with a soft smack, just as their waiter came to the table to take their orders.

"let's pop this open shall we." toni said after the waiter walked away and she reached for the chardonnay in the bucket. she poured the chilled wine into their glasses.

"i'd like to make a toast." toni started and they raised their glasses in the air.

"to the girl of my dreams. to the girl i love more than anything. and to the best six months of my life."

"i couldn't agree more." they clinked their glasses together and took a sip of the wine before leaning in for a quick peck.

after they finished their food their waiter came by to collect their empty plates, followed by archie who had another plate in his hand.

"from us to you." archie set down a plate with one single piece of chocolate cake between them. and on the plate was written in chocolate sauce:  _happy six months!_

"wow this looks amazing! thank you." cheryl said to archie although she knew toni had a hand in it because chocolate cake is her favorite.

"my pleasure. and when you finish we have an entire new collection of art in our gallery. but worry not, your photograph is still up toni."

"thank you archie." toni smiled and archie nodded before walking away from the couple.

"i know you picked the dessert." cheryl said with a smirk.

"what gave me away." toni said sarcastically and cheryl rolled her eyes playfully at her.

toni picked up a fork and cut a piece of the cake and raised the fork to cheryl's lips. cheryl closed her lips over the fork and pulled back slowly with a hum.

"wow, that's delicious. try some my love." cheryl said as she swiped her finger through the chocolate  _'s'_  drawn on the plate and raised it up to toni's lips.

"babe, we're in public." toni giggled.

"so?"

and that was a good enough answer for toni as she leaned forward to wrap her lips around cheryl's finger to suck the chocolate sauce off.

cheryl picked up the other fork and the couple took turns feeding each other, what cheryl would describe as, the most amazing chocolate cake she has ever had. they went back and forth until the cake was gone.

"okay, i don't think i can eat anything else tonight." toni said as she set the fork down on top of the empty plate.

"i can." cheryl said lowly, leaning in closer to toni as she dropped her eyes to toni's lips.

"come on baby, let's go look at the art."

"i'm already looking at art." cheryl said smoothly as she placed her hand on toni's thigh and caressed her with her thumb.

"come on sweet talker. i really wanna check out the new art." toni smiled although she couldn't help the shiver that went down her spine. cheryl sighed but happily followed her to the gallery.

when they entered the gallery they started to the left just like last time and walked around the room as the admired the art on the wall. and just like last time cheryl got lost in how toni described all of the art pieces and this time even giving her own opinion.

they walked around to the end of the wall art where cheryl knew toni's photograph of the brooklyn bridge hung.

"and what do you think of this one?" toni asked as she stood behind cheryl.

"baby i already know this is..." cheryl trailed off when her eyes landed on the photograph. "wait what's..."

the photo was a black and white picture of the brooklyn bridge but there was something different about it. in the middle of the photo stood sweet pea, reggie, jason, veronica and josie, on the bridge, smiling widely as the held a sign that said  _will you?_

"toni what's this?" cheryl turned around to look give girlfriend a questioning look but literally gasped when she saw her girlfriend down on one knee holding open a red velvet box with a 3 carat round cut diamond sparking at her.

cheryl covered her mouth as tears immediately sprung to her eyes.

"cheryl marjorie blossom. the first time i laid my eyes on you, well, i yelled at you for spilling coffee on me." toni laughed causing cheryl to as well. "but little did i know that the woman who spilled hot coffee on me would be the woman who would change my life forever. it may have taken me a couple days to realize it after we met but, after watching you bartend for two hours i just knew that you were special. and i was right because it took a very special person like you to change someone like me for the better. cheryl, you are the love of my life, my soulmate, my baby, my sweetheart, my better half. and i know it's only been six months but baby, you are the woman for me. you are the woman i want the spend the rest of my life with. the woman i wanna build a future with. the woman i wanna start a family with. the woman i wanna grow old with."

they were both crying at this point, not even noticing the crowd they have drawn.

"so, cheryl marjorie blossom. will you? will you marry me?"

cheryl giggled breathily as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"toni... yes. yes of course i'll marry you!"

toni smiled toothily as the tears flowed down her cheeks as well. she took the ring out of the box and slid it onto the ring finger of cheryl's left hand. she stood to her feet and wrapped her arms around cheryl's neck as cheryl wrapped her arms tightly around her lower back and they met for a tearful but joyful kiss as the crowd applauded and cheered around them.

"i love you. i love you so much." cheryl mumbled between kisses.

"i love you too."

this is everything she's ever wanted.

six months ago when she told veronica she wanted more,  _this_ is exactly what she meant. 

she had an amazing job that she loved and now she was engaged to the woman she loved more than anything.

and sure they've had a few bumps in road. but they knew they were meant to be together. forever.

toni pulled away from her lips before they got too carried away in public and she looked at cheryl with the most loving eyes she has ever looked at her with"

"come on, let's go home."

 


	29. the entire world

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hold please while i get emotional
> 
> OMG another fic finished. i have been working on this since february and it is now coming to a beautiful end. first i just wanted to say thank you all for reading and sticking through this with me, this is the longest fic i've written so far and has received the most hits i've ever gotten so thank you! thank you to all of the wonderful comments and tweets. i know i don't use it anymore but thanks to all the cc's i've gotten about this fic. especially all the #forsoni ones cause those cracked me up. 
> 
> also, and now that this is finished i will be starting on the college fic so stay tuned for that!
> 
> anyways, enough talking. please enjoy the final chapter of the role reversal fic! it's soft, fluffy, and of course smutty.
> 
> catch me on twitter @topazgotjuice
> 
> one last thing, please read the notes at the end!

four years later.

**wifey**   
_i miss you babe :(_

cheryl stared down at the text message she just received from her wife with a light chuckle, as she sat at her desk. toni had been very clingy and needed these past few months but she understood why and didn't complain not once.

**[you]**   
_i miss you too honey, but 5 o clock is right around the corner. you want me to bring you anything?_

**wifey**   
_no thank you, i just want you._

cheryl smiled at the text message. almost five years they have been together and cheryl's heart still soars at something as simple as text message.

almost five years together, and cheryl still feels like she's in the honeymoon phase. and she knows toni feels the same way.

three years ago to this day the couple got married. it was a small ceremony. just toni's immediate family, jason and their best friends. they honeymooned in paris, and have been sickeningly happy ever since.

veronica and josie got married a month after them, and have had two beautiful children. sofia and alexander. veronica is no longer a bartender. she went to school to get a degree in business and now manages the bar.

fangs and joaquin got married 6 months after their engagement. they adopted a beautiful baby boy, which cheryl and toni had the wonderful privilege of babysitting for a month when their band went on their first tour.

cheryl had advanced at topaz magazine. she had taken all topaz social media accounts to another level, interacting more with fans and readers by doing daily trivia, giveaways, and more. now, she even has interns that work for her for college credit. she takes them with her to every single out of office event that topaz magazine either holds or covers.

the last four years haven't been the easiest though. yes, they were unbelievably happy with each other but they still faced a tough trial six months into their marriage.

cheryl and jason had been getting really close as siblings and it made her birth parents want to be a part of her life too. but cheryl was skeptical about it and still not ready to have a relationship with them.

_"baby, you know you don't owe them anything. it's your choice whether you want them in your life. and if you don't want them in your life you shouldn't feel bad about that. you do what's best for you."_

toni had said to her one night as she laid on her chest, tears falling from her eyes, because  _cheryl cries._

cheryl speaks to them. maybe once a month, because she decided that's all she can handle. she doesn't call them mom and dad. she doesn't want them to refer to her as their daughter. they're basically just her brothers parents that she's cordial with for his sake. she really doesn't want anything to do with them, with the exception of jason, who she has grown to love dearly. she even officially changed her last name to topaz when she got married.

other than that, everything has been amazing between them. of course they've had a few small fights that were honestly pointless, but they always ended up having makeup sex by the end of the day.

their life was great.

this is everything cheryl has ever wanted.

and it's about to get even better.

at 5 o'clock on the dot, cheryl sent her interns home, logged out of her computer and quickly gathered her things so she could get home to her wife as soon as possible.

she stopped by josie's office on her way out a knocked on her door.

"you heading out?" she asked as she watched her father her things.

"5 on a friday? i'm surprised i stayed this long." josie and cheryl laughed as she turned her light off and closed and locked her office door before the two of them walked towards the elevators.

"how's toni?" josie asked.

"bored out of her mind. the workaholic just doesn't know how to rest."

"i bet she just can't wait to get back to work huh?" josie laughed with an eye roll.

"yeah, but other than that she's good. she's really clingy now though."

"now? hasn't she always been?"

"well yeah but it's increased ten fold the last couple months. i've never been more exhausted."

"yeah ronnie was the same way." josie chuckled. "so what are you doing for your anniversary though? it's today right?" she asked as they reached the ground level and walked out of the building to daniel, who had their keys ready for them, giving him a quick thanks.

"well we can't really do much, so i'm just gonna cook dinner for her and have a nice night in."

"that sounds lovely. well, i won't keep you any longer, i'll let you get back to your wife." josie said as they walked towards their separate cars on the curb.

"and i'll let you get back to yours. see you monday!" cheryl waved with a smile as she climbed into her black jeep wrangler, speeding through the streets of new york to get back to her wife.

she pulled the car up for the front of the house and walked up to the already opened door where martin stood and greeted her with a snails almost everyday for the past four years.

"good afternoon cheryl, how was work?"

"boring as usual without toni. where is she by the way?"

"i believe she's in the office."

"she better not be working. thanks." cheryl sighed causing martin to chuckle before turning on her heels and marching to their now shared home office.

she opened the door in preparation to chastise her wife for working when she should be resting, but instead she gasped and dropped her purse on the floor, and basically ran to toni.

she was standing on a step stool, trying to reach a book on the top shelf.

"toni! what are you doing? get down from there!" cheryl said, slightly frantically as she grabbed toni's hand and put her other hand on her lower back.

"relax baby, i just wanted to read this book."

"well here, get down, i'll get it for you." cheryl said, squeezing her hand nervously.

"no need, i got it." toni said grabbing the book, and she climbed back down, with the help of cheryl, until she was standing in front of her wife.

"i don't even get a kiss hello. haven't seen me since 7:30 this morning and the first thing you do is yell at me."

"well you just made me really nervous baby. you shouldn't be climbing on things. if you needed something you should've asked martin."

"baby i'm fine. it was literally just two steps."

"but what if you had lost your balance and fell? you're not just living for you anymore honey." cheryl said as she reached forward and placed her hand on toni's rounded stomach.

"okay okay, i'm sorry. i promise if i need something from the top shelf again i'll ask martin. does that help put your mind at ease?"

"yes it does. thank you."

toni chuckled with a shake of her head as she placed her hand on top of cheryl's that was rested on her stomach.

"can i get a kiss from my wife now? it  _is_  our anniversary after all."

"of course my love." cheryl kept her hand on her stomach while her other one cupped her cheek and she brought her in for a warm kiss, their lips moved together slowly a couple times before pulling away.

"and for you too." cheryl said as she leaned down and pressed a kiss to toni's baby bump.

"how is she? has she been kicking today?"

"not much, a little this morning. i think she's asleep right now."

"well, sleep well my princess. and stop kicking mommy." she pressed another kiss to toni's stomach before standing back up straight.

"and you, why don't you go lay on the couch and chill while i go start our anniversary dinner."

"orrrr, you could cuddle with me on the couch while our cooks prepare dinner." toni said as she stepped closer and rubbed her hands up and down cheryl's arms.

"as appealing as that sounds, those chefs don't make steak like me. besides it feels more personal this way. but after dinner i'm all yours and i'll cuddle you for the rest of the weekend if you want."

"okay fine." toni pouted her lips and cheryl leaned in to kiss her pout away before grabbing her hand and leading her out of the office and to their living room, and sat toni down.

"you need anything before i go change and start cooking?"

instead of a verbal answer toni just puckered her lips and cheryl giggled with a shake of her head before leaning down to peck her lips three times.

"alright, relax and dinner will be ready in about thirty." and cheryl placed one last kiss to her forehead before leaving toni to her book.

cheryl went upstairs and quickly changed into some leggings and t-shirt. she pulled her hair up into a high bun and made her way down to the kitchen. she shoo'd the cooks, telling them to go home for the day, and she started preparing their dinner.

she had potatoes in one pot, green beans in another and rolls in the oven. just as she flipped the steaks she felt hands on her waist and lips on her neck.

"baby, i thought you were supposed to resting." cheryl chuckled as she leaned back into toni's embrace.

"well, i got bored and i missed you all day. especially since you left me high and dry this morning." toni mumbled into her neck before taking her skin between her teeth.

cheryl hummed and turned around in her arms, tongs still in her hand, and she leaned forward to give toni, what was supposed to be, a short kiss. but toni wrapped her hands around cheryl's neck and slid her tongue into her wife's mouth.

cheryl placed her free hand on toni's hip and squeezed, allowing herself to just succumb to the feeling for a few moments, until the loud sound of sizzling brought her back to reality.

"okay... baby..." she pressed one last firm kiss to her lips before pulling away. "if you go lay down and rest i promise, after dinner i will make up for this morning. okay?"

"i'm holding you to that." toni smirked and walked out of the kitchen, not before cheryl placed a smack to her backside.

"that fine ass." she giggled and toni blew her a kiss before she turned her attention back to the stove.

she finished cooking and made both of their plates. she carried them to the dining room table, poured two glasses of sparkling cider, and lit an unscented candle. she went back into the living room and helped toni stand from the couch and led her to the table, pulling her chair out for her to sit.

"baby this looks and smells amazing as always."

"thank you honey. before we eat i'd like to make a toast." cheryl said and they both raised their glasses in the air.

"to three years of marriage. the best three years of my life. to our future baby girl. and just... to happiness."

"here here."

and they clinked their glasses together before taking a sip.

"now let's eat." toni said excitedly and cheryl just smiled at her before digging to the food.

-

"mmm cher, that feels good." toni hummed as her eyes fluttered closed and she leaned her head back into the pillow.

cheryl was holding toni's right foot in the air as she dug her thumbs into the bottom of it in deep circles.

"feels good baby?" cheryl asked as she stared down at toni with hooded eyes, using  _that voice._

"mhm. so good. you're hands are magic."

cheryl chuckled and placed her foot down, picking up the other and giving her the same treatment. she already knew where this was going but the way toni was humming and moaning and breathing was really turning her on.

after five more minutes, giving equal attention to her left foot as her right, she placed a kiss to the side of her foot before lowering it back on the bed and rubbed her hands up and down her calves. she sat up on her knees and leaned down to press kisses to the tops of her thighs.

"cheryl." toni breathed out.

"yeah baby."

"i want you, please."

cheryl leaned up and crawled up toni's body until she was hovering over her. her hands on either side of her. she leaned down and captured toni's lips in heated kiss, their tongues swirling around each other's and lips smacking loudly.

toni dragged her hands up and down cheryl's bare back, the both of them having rid themselves of clothes the second they stepped foot in their bedroom.

cheryl trailed her lips down to toni's neck, placing wet open mouthed kisses up and down the column of her neck. she sucked on her pulse point and reveled in the sound of her breath hitching and the feeling of nails digging into her back.

she lower her lips, nipping at her collar bone, and trailed down her chest over the top of her right breast. she circled her tongue around her nipple before enclosing it with her lips and sucking lightly.

" _fuck!"_ toni arched her back up, her eyes squeezed together tight and she threw her head back and she tangled her fingers in cheryl's hair, getting a tight grip on it.

this is one of the reasons why cheryl loves pregnancy sex so much. everything on toni is much more sensitive. cheryl had only been sucking in her breast for ten seconds and she was already whimpering and bucking her hips up in search for some friction. so cheryl didn't keep her waiting any longer, especially after cutting their time short that morning before she had to leave for work.

she raised her thigh to press into toni's center, and started rocking her thigh back and forth into her.

"cheryl fuck!" toni dug her nails into cheryl's shoulder blades as she bucked her hips up to match her rhythm.

cheryl pulled her lips away from toni's nipple with a pop and switched to the other one, giving it the same amount of attention.

she dug her teeth into her very sensitive nipple and tugged it back before releasing it and trailed her lips up toni's neck to her lips. she was only able to place one kiss to her lips before toni's mouth parted in an o shape. she was panting heavily as her brows pointed down in pleasure. cheryl kept their foreheads together as she continued to rock into her wife, alternating between back and forth and circled motions.

"huhhh  _cheryl."_

"you close baby?" cheryl didn't even need to ask, she already knew.

"clo- shit! i'm there!"

"let go for me."

toni's breath hitched and her eyes rolled into the back of her head as she came. she held cheryl tighter as she rode out her high, cheryl helping her through it until her back crashed back onto the bed.

they stayed like that for a minute, just breathing into each other's faces. cheryl started peppering her face with soft kisses as she waited for toni's breathing to regulate. but she was still panting, chest rising and falling rapidly as small almost inaudible moans escaped her lips. that's when she realized her thigh was still pressed tightly into toni's center.

she was about to remove it when toni wrapped her legs around her thigh to lock her in and leaned up to kiss her sloppily.

"cher... i still want you." she breathed against her lips.

"whatever you need my love." cheryl crashed their lips together, kissing her fervently. she slid her tongue in and out of toni's mouth, causing her to groan and buck her hips back up into her thigh. she dug her teeth into her bottom lip and pulled it back before releasing it, tilting her head, and diving back in for an even deeper kiss.

cheryl moved her thigh off of toni's center, causing her to whine at the loss, especially when she rolled off of toni completely and laid on her side beside her. toni didn't even have time to question what cheryl was doing before she turned her on her side and pulled her back into her chest.

cheryl slid her left arm under toni's neck and wrapped her arm around to grip her shoulder. she dragged her right hand down toni's body and gripped her thigh. she lifted toni's leg up to hook over her own legs to open her up.

"i love you." cheryl whispered into her wife's ear before dropping her lips to her shoulder.

"i love you." toni echoed, leaning her head back to rest against cheryl's.

cheryl slid her hand up toni's inner thigh before cupping her center. toni bucked her hips forward uncontrollably with a cry.

"relax." cheryl whispered before sucking on her neck.

with her middle finger, cheryl swiped through her folds, running up and down through her from her entrance and back up, avoiding her clit, over and over again.

toni turned her head a little and cheryl raised up to kiss her lips. they breathed heavily into the kiss. toni wrapped her right hand around cheryl's neck as her other hand gripped the bedsheets below her.

"uhh cheryl!" toni hesitated in their kiss and furrowed her eyebrows as cheryl finally made direct contact with her clit. she circled her clit with middle finger, adding more pressure.

she loved how sensitive toni was now because she's barely touched her and she was already a whimpering and moaning mess.

cheryl pressed down harder on clit with her middle and pointer finger and sped her movement sup, rubbing deeper and faster circles into her.

"OH FUCK."

cheryl returned her lips to toni's neck, sucking harshly on her skin as she rubbed relentlessly through toni's folds. she moved the hand that was wrapped around her shoulder down to squeeze and grope at her breast, tugging and and rolling her nipple in between her fingers before palming and squeezing her. toni's back snapped off cheryl's chest with a filthy moan.

cheryl lowered her fingers to circle her entrance before easily sliding them inside, down to the knuckle, and using her thumb to continue rubbing in her clit.

toni's moan got stuck in her through as her eyes rolled deep into the back of her head.

"breath toni." cheryl mumbled against her ear before sucking her earlobe into her mouth. toni's thighs were shaking and her walls were squeezing her fingers.

"huhh cher- cheryl i-"

"i know baby. i got you."

toni leaned her head back to rest against cheryl's as she panted desperately. her moans were uncontrollable and she had a vice like grip on cheryl's hair and the bedsheets.

"cum for me baby. give me another one." cheryl growled and toni let go, hard. her eyes snapped opened and her back arched off of cheryl's chest, and she released a string of curse words.

and cheryl kept going until she pulled another one out of her. and she came again with a cry and a high pitch moan. she continued thrusting in and out of her, gradually slowing down to help her ride out her high until toni relaxed with a huff.

cheryl slowly pulled her soaked fingers out of her and brought them up to her mouth, sucking them clean, and moaning loudly at the taste.

once her fingers were clean she leaned down to share the taste with toni, sliding her tongue against toni's, both moaning in satisfaction.

"God i love you." cheryl breathed once they pulled away and she laid next to toni, still holding her from behind"

"what about you?"

"it's okay baby, you're probably tired so i'm good, tonight was about you"

"it's  _our_  anniversary babe, tonight isn't about me, it's about  _us."_

toni turned around until she was laying on her back and reached down to pat cheryl's thigh.

"come on." she said simply and cheryl smirked, knowing exactly how toni wanted her.

cheryl sat up on her knees and threw her knee over toni's head until she was straddling her face. and toni wasted no time. she gripped cheryl's hips and pulled her down, her tongue licking up and down through her folds.

cheryl grabbed the headboard and rolled her hips down to ride her face. toni blindly reached up and grabbed to handfuls of cheryl's breasts, squeezing and rolling them around, spurring cheryl on, her moans sounding like music to her ears.

she wrapped her lips around cheryl's clit and sucked harshly on her, as she grinded faster on her lips. they both worked together, toni eventually adding her fingers into the mix, to bring cheryl to two back to back releases.

"fuck!" cheryl gasped as she lifted herself off of toni's face and collapsed on the bed next to her with heavy breaths.

toni gripped her chin and turned her to face her. she leaned forward and cheryl cleaned herself off her lips and chin.

"fuck i love you." cheryl breathed out.

"i love you more." toni smiled and leaned in for one more peck.

"happy anniversary."

-

later that night, as they were cuddle together under fresh sheets and comfortable pajamas, cheryl laid her head on toni's chest, listening to her heart beat and she rubbed her hand in slow circles over her stomach.

"you know." cheryl started as she sat up on her elbow to look down at toni, who was running her fingers through her hair.

"hmm?" toni hummed in response.

"this is so crazy."

"what is?" toni tilted her head.

"five years ago, before we met, i never imagined myself getting married and having a family of my own. i was afraid i was going to be working at the bar, living off tips and... you know... forever. but here i am, laying in the arms of my wife who is carrying our daughter. life is just, crazy."

"crazy wonderful."

"yeah. i knew i always wanted more but i was never expecting this. and  _this..._  this is everything i have ever wanted and  _more_. i love you so fucking much baby, it's unreal how much i love you."

"babe, you can't say that to a pregnant woman." toni said as her eyes glossed over and she blinked them back, a single tear escaping the corner of her eye and cheryl leaned down to kiss it away.

"but i mean it baby. i may not have known it all those years ago but being here, in a beautiful home with my beautiful wife and a baby on the way, is where i was destined to end up. and i am forever grateful for spilling coffee on you all those years ago."

and toni chuckled and just smiled at her with glossy eyes and a soft smile. cheryl leaned down to peck her lips softly before scooting down the bed. she settled between her legs pressed a soft kiss to the top of toni's stomach, as toni raked her fingers through her hair. she watched cheryl talk to their baby with a smile.

"hi, baby. it's mama again. i just want to let you know that i really can't wait to meet you. and i just want you to know that i am going to love you so much. i am going to smother you so much love and affection, and i never want you to feel the way i did growing up. you're are going to have to mothers that already love you so much. and we are going to spoil you rotten. i love you so much my princess."

and cheryl meant that with everything in her.

for eight weeks later, on september 15th, 2023 at 5:32 in the morning, audrey morgan topaz, was born. and as toni slept, cheryl held their baby girl in her arms. she looked at her with tears in her eyes and then at toni, the two girls that were her entire world. and that's what she promised she was going to give them. the entire world.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> role reversal sequel coming in december! a Christmas one shot!


End file.
